Mass Effect: Promises Fulfilled (AU - Mass Effect 3)
by Daniel Sullivan
Summary: This is the second part to an AU story, Promises Kept, written at the request of another author. Shepard and Miranda have conquered the Collectors, and Miranda has been presented as humanity's second candidate for Spectres. Shepard, is in lockdown for his joining of Cerberus and Miranda is being evaluated as a Spectre candidate ... just as the Reapers arrive.
1. Chapter 1

**Prelude**

"How bad is it?" Anderson walked with Admiral Hackett through the control room at Arcturus, the mood of the station tense and worried. The control room was abuzz with activity, people frantically scrambling to figure out … something. It was clear: something big was coming, and Anderson felt his stomach knotting up.

"Bad," Hackett replied grimly. "We just lost contact with two of our deep space outposts. There's something massive on long range scanners."

 _They're here_ , Anderson thought. "Is this what Shepard warned us about?"

"I'd stake my life on it," Hackett replied.

 _We're dead_ , Anderson thought. _They've ignored this threat for three years, and now it's here. Humanity … galactic civilization … it's all going to end. We're all going to die_.

"How long do we have?" _Maybe_ , he thought, _we have time to prepare … something …_

Hackett dashed that hope. "Not long. I've sent word. The fleets are mobilizing."

Anderson stopped dead in his tracks. It was finally happening. Everything Shepard had warned them about was about to happen. "God help us all."

Shepard looked out his window from his room in the Earth Alliance Headquarters. A little boy was running around in the courtyard with a toy F-61 Trident. It brought a smile to his face, remembering running around the yard doing the same thing. He wondered if the boy was dreaming of a future in the Alliance Navy or Marines, or if he just liked playing with toy ships as all little boys do. The bright sunny day and the sight of children at play reminded him of how oblivious the galaxy was to the impending threat … and of just what it was that he and Miranda were fighting for. An Alliance shuttle was coming in fast, but it disappeared from his view as quickly as it had appeared.

Because of his involvement with Cerberus, Shepard was under house arrest, being questioned about Cerberus by seemingly ever branch of Alliance and Council law enforcement. In spite of his testimony, and that of Miranda and Garrus, it seemed that aside from Anderson and Hackett, it seemed that the Alliance brass and the Alliance Parliament denied the Reaper threat, as did the Citadel Council. His wedding plans with Miranda had been put on hold as a result, and more than a few hints had been made to him that because of his working with Cerberus, his career may be over. Only Admiral Hackett's efforts kept the vultures at bay. In spite of everything he had done for Humanity and for the galaxy, Shepard was disgraced. Lockdown, however, had been productive.

Miranda, on the other hand, was welcomed with open arms, being a defector from Cerberus. She had been presented to the Council as a Spectre candidate, and was off on missions being evaluated, just as Shepard was to be evaluated with Nilus almost three years ago. She was not supposed to have any contact with him, but the crafty operative found ingenious ways to get messages inside to Shepard. It seemed that she was serving under a Salarian Spectre named Jundam Bau, and they were getting along famously; Bau, as it turned out, was a good friend of Mordin, and delighted in hearing about Mordin's role in the Collector missions. Bau also made it clear to Miranda that he and others in STG were behind Shepard 100%, and were working behind the scenes to change the Salarian Union's position on the Reapers, though they were meeting heavy and entrenched resistance.

Of course, Shepard had no way to respond to her … well, he could, but he dared not jeopardize his tenuous position any further. For her part, Miranda knew that he would be silent; they had discussed that before his lockdown, but it killed him not to be able to tell her he loved her. On the other hand, Shepard had spent a lot of his downtime time honing the fine control of his biotics. As the only known human who could use biotics without an amp, Shepard was singularly unique. Mordin had speculated that the commander was the next step in human evolution, and hinted that a marriage with Miranda could produce offspring who would share Shepard's unique ability. The thought made him smile, and he hoped that perhaps Miranda could sense his love for her.

As his attention drifted back to the children at play outside, his door chimed. It was not a mealtime or time for his scheduled therapy session, so he assumed it was a visitor. He opened the door, half expecting another interrogation from some Alliance IA officer, but instead, it was Lieutenant James Vega, his handler. The massive marine stood straight and tall, firing off a crisp salute.

"Commander," the big marine said, a look of worry in his eyes.

James Vega was a massively built man, probably the most bulked up man Shepard had ever laid eyes on. _Could have used you against Saren_ , he thought.

"You're not supposed to call me that anymore, James," Shepard rebuked, not returning the salute.

"Not supposed to salute you either," Vega added. "We gotta go. The defense committee wants to see you."

Shepard tossed the datapad he had been holding on his bed and followed James. "Sounds important."

Somehow, he knew that Anderson had been aboard that shuttle, and somehow, he knew they were here … the Reapers were finally here, and the only hope the defense committee had was in a disgraced commander whose warnings had gone unheeded for years. He only hoped that Miranda was alright. The Reapers had promised to return, and Shepard had promised to stop them. Now it was time to make good on that promise, and win a future with Miranda … and for the galactic civilization.


	2. Chapter 2

Miranda was in her cabin aboard the Salarian cruiser when her door chimed. Signaling it to open, she was greeted by Jondam Bau, the Spectre who had been evaluating her. After working so long with Mordin, Miranda had gotten good at reading Salarian facial expressions, and Bau was definitely worried. This was beyond concerns about a mission; this was fear and anxiety.

"Ms. Lawson," he said softly. "I've transmitted my report recommending you as a Spectre, and have recommended that you be put into service without delay."

Miranda stiffened at this. "Bau, we still have three more missions!"

"Those are a formality," Bau replied. "I read Shepard's reports about the Collector Base, and his report about your performance; I needed only see you in action once to confirm his findings."

"But why cut our missions short? I mean, Bau, these are not training exercises; they need to be handled."

Bau was quiet. He looked down at the floor, and then back up at her. "None of that matters now, Ms. Lawson. You're needed urgently, and I'm taking you back to the Citadel. Trade disputes, pirates, slavers, political intrigue—none of it matters, not now." He paused again. "Miranda, the Reapers are here. Earth has been invested, and Commander Shepard has been reactivated. You're to meet him at the Citadel and board the Normandy."

Miranda felt her legs buckle, and she fell back into her chair, her entire body shaking. "The Reapers," she gasped. "I thought we'd have more time."

"So did we," Bau agreed. "STG always took the Reaper threat seriously, just as factions within your own military did. I only hope our governments' and the Citadel Council's mishandling of Shepard's warnings don't condemn us to extinction.

Miranda could only nod. Bau left, and Miranda was alone again. Taking to the extranet, she took stock of the devastation wrought to Earth and the Systems Alliance. She allowed herself to cry for the countless lives lost on Earth, and then clenched her fists tightly. All that time Shepard had been warning them, and the lead time and intel Shepard and Miranda had bought had all been squandered and ignored, and now humanity was paying the price. The fact that the Council had thrown Earth under the bus really angered her.

"Those pompous, self-righteous …" She stood and projected a powerful biotic blast that knocked over all the furniture in her room, and shook the ship itself. Breathing hard, Miranda looked around the room. Her anger would find focus in the weeks to come, that she knew. She would reunite with Shepard, and together, they would drag the galaxy into a united front against the Reapers whether it wanted to or not.

Shepard had fought his way to the Normandy, and then Ashley, Vega, and Shepard, had fought their way through the Mars Archives, where they had picked up Liara, and where Ashley had been critically injured by a Cerberus synthetic. With the synthetic on board, and Ashley comatose, Shepard had ordered the Normandy to the Citadel, to get help for Ashley, and for Earth. In a matter of hours, Shepard would be face to face with the politician he hated most: Donnel Udina.

The Council had to know by now about Earth. There was no way Udina did not know, and if he knew, then the Council knew. Udina had replaced Anderson at the end of Anderson's first term, using his political savvy to rob Anderson of his position for the second time. Udina always boasted of his political savvy, and his ability to get the job done for the benefit of humanity. Shepard only hoped that all that bragging Udina had spent the past few years doing had actual substance. If Udina was busy playing politics as usual, Shepard thought he just might have beat the councilor into cooperating. There would be no tolerating of Udina's backstabbing as had happened before Sovereign's attack; Shepard answered only to Admiral Hackett, not the Politicians, and had been given broad authority to do whatever he needed to in Earth's defense If Udina stood his way, Shepard would put him down hard.

His thoughts then turned to Miranda, the second Human Spectre, and Shepard's fiancée. He had tried to get word to her about Earth, and desperately wanted to know if she were alive, but none of his communiqués had received any response. He did not know Jondum Bau, but after Saren turning on Nihlus, and his run in with Tela Vasir, Shepard could not trust Bau just because he was a fellow Spectre. He had heard good things about the Salarian Spectre, but then, Saren was legendary before his fall. A good reputation could be hiding a dark secret—like indoctrination by the Reapers, or some other ulterior motive, as it had for Vasir. He hoped and prayed that Miranda was alright.

His door chimed, pulling him from his reverie. "Enter," he called.

Liara entered, moving with her characteristic Asari grace. Shepard often wondered if the Asari used their biotic unconsciously to achieve this effect, or if they really were that graceful. Liara said only her customary greeting: "Shepard."

"What's going on, Liara?"

She took a seat on the sectional, looking across the corner of the coffee table at him. Even though he knew she was the Shadow Broker, she still looked as sweet and innocent as she had when he had rescued her from the Geth on Therum. That led him to wonder if Tela Vasir had utilized her innocent appearance to greater effect, or if Asari used their biotcs to maintain that appearance.

"Shepard, how much do you know about Asari mythology and the Athame Doctrine?"

"Not much," he confessed. "I know Athame was a goddess worshipped before your current Siari religion, but beyond that …"

Liara's eyes widened slightly, her eyebrows raising. "That's considerably more than what most humans know, Shepard. It may not seem like much, but it is surprisingly quite a bit. What do you know of the Athame Doctrine?"

Shepard reclined, trying to recall what he actually knew, which as he had already said, was not much. The entire conversation was bizarre to him. What was she getting at?

"I know Athame imparted knowledge to the Asari through two guides, Janiri and Lucen, and that there is a triple aspect to her, similar to some Earth myths. Her doctrine fell out of favor thousands of years ago."

LIara nodded. "Yes, Janiri and Lucen were guides sent by Athame, but there is another figure less notable in the Athame Doctrine, one that is prophesied to appear. Like Lucen and Janiri, this figure, called the Poimayn, is not Asari, and is fated to arrive in Thessia's time of greatest need. It is believed that Athame herself will have blessed this figure with biotic power, a power greater than any biotic known to have lived."

Shepard laughed. "Well, if she's going to appear, now is probably a good time. We can use all the allies we can get!"

Liara shook her head. "I never said the Poimayn was a 'she,' Shepard," Liara corrected. "The gender of this figure is unrevealed, though most Asari assumed as you, that it would be feminine, but I do not believe this to be the case."

This piqued his interest. Clearly, Liara had some ideas about this figure. "What makes you say that?"

"Because Poimayn is an Asari word which translates as one who cares for the flock," she explained. "In other words, a shepherd."

Shepard shook his head. "Now wait a minute, Liara—you don't seriously think that I could be this biotic messiah … do you?"

"Messiah is the wrong word," Liara corrected, "but yes, I do believe it's you. Think about it, Shepard; you have natural biotics, with no need for any implants. And though you're largely untrained, your biotics are very powerful. Your name certainly reinforces my theory."

"It's a lot to take in," he said. "I guess time will tell."

"That it will, Shepard," Liara agreed. "For what it's worth, I am with you no matter what."

Miranda waited nervously at Docking bay D-24, worried that Shepard may have been killed, in spite of the reports to the contrary. She chided herself for her anxiety; worry was not something she had been prone to—but until Shepard, she had never invested so much in another except Ori, and Miranda had nearly worried herself to death—literally, during that ordeal. To her relief, she spied the Normandy's sleek profile gliding ever closer, until the ship, now decked out in Alliance colors, pulled into her slip. Shepard was here—at least she hoped he was.

Before she could approach the docking tube, she heard a commotion behind her. A medical team with a gurney hurried past her, heading straight for the tube. At first she thought the worst, but when the doors opened, it was Ashley who was transferred to the Gurney, her comely face a mass of black and blue. Shepard followed, flanked by Liara and a large marine.

"Barely got a pulse here," a Turian med tech said as they wheeled her out. "Move her out!"

"Where are you taking her?"

"Huerta Memorial," the Turian replied. "Best care on the Citadel."

As the medical team hurried off, the marine said, "We're not going with?"

"We need to see the Council," Liara said.

"Yeah, but there's someone I need to see first," Shepard said. He then went straight to Miranda and embraced her tightly, kissing her deeply. "God, I've missed you, Miranda!"

She could not help smiling. "I've missed you too, Shepard. Bau finished my evaluation and got me back to the Citadel as soon as he heard about Earth." Then her tone became more serious. "But Shepard, what happened to Ashley?"

"Long story," he replied. "Short version; Cerberus had a synthetic at the Mars Archives, and Ash tangled with it. We neutralized it, but not before it did a number on her."

Miranda cocked her head, looking at Shepard with surprise. Going there made no sense. "Mars Archives? What on Earth were you doing there?"

"Hackett's orders," he explained. "We picked up Liara there, and we have—something. We're about to present our findings to the Council." Then he paused, and smiled. "Say, would the second human Spectre like to join us?"

"Like to? I'd love to!" She hugged him tightly.

"Ahem," said Liara, interrupting them. "If you're coming, and for the record, I'm in favor of it, then we need to get to the Council now."

The big marine looked, and said to Shepard, "Looks like they might be comin' to see you."

Miranda looked over toward the door at the other end of the docking tube, and saw Captain Bailey walked up to greet Shepard. His uniform was different, and he had grayed a bit, but he was still Bailey, looking pretty much the same as he had when she had met him over a year ago.

"Commander Shepard," Bailey greeted in his gravelly baritone. "Got word you might be arriving."

Shepard walked over and shook his hand, saying, "Captain Bailey—good to see you again."

"You too," Bailey said. "Though it's commander now."

Shepard seemed unsure, and said, "Congratulations?"

"Uh—thanks," he replied unenthusiastically. "Now half my job is dealing with political bullshit and escorting dignitaries around." Then he quickly added, "No offense."

"None taken," Shepard replied. "So, you're here to bring us to the council?"

"I'm here to tell you that the Council is expecting you, but their' dealing with their own—problems, with the war and everything." Bailey walked them over to the automated security station. "They apologize for the inconvenience, and blah, blah, blah. Meet them here—at Udina's office. They'll be ready soon enough."

 _Same old Bailey_ , Miranda thought.

"Alright," Shepard said, clearly ready to get moving.

Bailey sent Shepard the nav-point from his omni-tool, and added, "You might have time to go by the medical center, if you want to check on progress over there."

"Thanks," Shepard replied. "I might do that."

"You two go on ahead," Liara interjected. "I'll head up to Udina's office."

"One of my men can show you the way," Bailey said. As Liara walked off, Bailey turned to Vega. "You?"

"I'm just a tourist today," Vega replied. "I'll try not to get into any trouble."

Miranda heard Bailey's earpiece.

" _Commander, we've got a situation in the embassy quarters. We could use your help_."

"Mm-hmm," he replied. "I'll be right there." Bailey groaned. "The other half of my job." He then walked off. "I'll see you around Shepard," he called back.

"No doubt," Shepard said to nobody in particular.

At last, Miranda had him all to herself.

"Shepard," she said as they walked. "It's so good to finally see you."

"You too, Miranda," he replied. "So far, you meeting me here is the first thing that's gone right since we got back to Earth after defeating the Collectors."

"I couldn't get anywhere near you when the Alliance had you locked up."

"Relieved of duty," he said. "It's complicated."

"I'm sure it was," she agreed. "I'm surprised they didn't court-marshal you. The Alliance isn't known for its flexibility."

"Doesn't matter now," he said, his eyes downcast.

"Shepard," she interjected. "About Earth …"

He walked past her to a railing by the picture window, and stopped, partway to the lift, his back muscles tense. "Countless people lost their lives within minutes. The Reapers are everything we feared."

"They should have listened to you a long time ago." She tried to reassure him, but he just looked down silently. Miranda went to him, saying, "I'm sorry, Shepard."

Finally, he turned to face her. "What about you? What brings you here?"

"Well, Bau finished my evaluation, and released me so that I could rejoin the Alliance. I came here to meet you." Miranda took his hand, and they began walking to the lift together. "I need to talk to people, like you. The Citadel is a good place to meet for now. What's the Alliance's next move?"

"We have a plan—it's a long shot," he replied.

Miranda sighed, and led him to one of the rows of benches that occupied the area. "Not surprising." Then it was her turn to look down. She moved closer to him, not looking him in the eye yet. "Shepard, am I still part of your plan? It's been so long I wasn't sure where we stood." She could hardly believe she was asking him this. She should already know the answer, but those old insecurities nagged at her.

Shepard came closer and took her hands, prompting her to look up. There was an energy in his hands, an energy she could feel. For as long as she had known him, he had had it. Feeling her hands being held in his made her worries go away.

"Miranda, it's never going to be easy for us, but I'll always want you in my life."

"No second thought? This is your chance to back out."

"None," he said resolutely, giving her a smile.

Miranda fell into his arms again, kissing him. It was a question that had nagged at her the longer they were apart. She scolded herself for allowing such insecurities to take root, but Shepard had answered exactly as she had hoped.

"It was hard to be away from you," she confessed. "I surprised myself—how attached I got. I'm not good at attached."

"Just stay close from now on, alright?"

She nodded. It was time to tell him, though. "I want to—and I will, but there's something I need to deal with."

Shepard put his arms around her. "What is it?"

"I haven't heard from Oriana for a while," she confided. "I'm getting worried."

Shepard looked surprised. "Your sister?"

"Yes," she confirmed. "I don't want to overreact but—well, there's a lot going on."

Shepard looked at her with puzzlement. "I thought we made sure she was safe."

"We did," she agreed. "It's probably nothing, but I just know that my father is involved."

"What happened?"

"I don't know," she sighed. "Everything I had in place to make sure she was safe went dark."

Shepard pulled her close, an island of stability in a galaxy going mad.

"We'll find her, Miranda," he said. "I promise you that." He must have sensed that she was going to say that she needed to do this on her own, because he added, "We'll find her together, Miranda."

"But, Shepard, you have a galaxy to save, and …"

"And we'll save it together," he assured. "But I have Liara on the Normandy. That's the resources of the Shadow Broker at your fingertips, and the Normandy can get us to her faster than any other vessel." He pulled her close. "Don't leave, Miranda. Don't try to do this on your own. I know how independent and strong you are, and it's one of the things I've always loved about you, but you don't have to do this alone. You have me, and we can do this together."

She rested her head against his broad chest, smiling to herself as she listened to his heartbeat. Finally, John Shepard was back in her arms. If her father really was involved, she resolved that whatever he could take from her, whatever he might force her to give up, Shepard would not be one of those things.

"I'm all ready to go deep under cover; deal with this alone—and then you come along, and suddenly, I have hope again. Alright, John, you have me—well, I guess you always have, but you have me for the duration, and beyond."

At long last, they were reunited. The first two human Spectres would be aboard the Normandy, along with the Shadow Broker, and an Alliance crew. She idly wondered if the Reapers, Cerberus, and her father had any idea just how much damage the three of them could do.

 _They're about to find out_ , she thought.


	3. Chapter 3

Shepard actually felt sorry for Udina as he watched the Human Councilor desperately try to convince his fellow council members of the necessity of working together. The whole exchange reinforced his distrust of the Council. It did not matter, though; without their help, there was no defeating the Reapers. Only the galaxy united could stop such a force. As Liara made the case for the Prothean device, John watched the Council members' expressions. After years as a Spectre, he had learned to read Salarians, and even the stone faced Turians. Of the three, it was Sparatus, the Turian councilor, who actually seemed interested.

Miranda was also present; as a Spectre, she was privy to the briefing, and Shepard wanted to make sure that she had the complete picture. He found that in her years as Cerberus number-two, Miranda had amassed a great deal of pertinent information, and he wanted no stone unturned in this fight. Also, they were a team; where one went, so went the other, and with the Reapers upon them, John would not waste a second. Unfortunately, Miranda looked blankly as Liara laid out the plan for the Prothean device. She knew nothing about it. But Sparatus looked on intently as Liara spoke, and that gave Shepard some hope.

Valern, the Salarian councilor, looked almost alarmed. "The scales—it would be a colossal undertaking."

Shepard wondered if the Salarians would rather let the Reapers win just to keep from having to commit to helping Earth. _Bastard_. "No," the commander countered, unwilling to let Valern shut this down. "I forwarded the plans to Admiral Hackett. The remnants of the human fleet are already gathering resources to begin construction."

Liara was right with a supporting statement before Valern could respond. "Our initial calculation suggests it's very feasible to build."

"If we work together," Shepard emphasized, bordering on scolding.

Valern was silenced, but it seemed that Tevos, the Asari Councilor, was right there with a wet blanket. "Have you considered that the Reapers destroyed the Protheans? What good did this weapon do?"

"It was incomplete," Liara explained quickly. "It was missing a component. Here—something referred to only as the catalyst." It looked like Valern was about to say something, but Liara cut him off. "But they ran out of time before they could finish it."

There was a silence, as all of them took in Liara's words. It was a longshot, no question, but it was the only shot they had that could potentially win this for them—and still have anything left of galactic civilization.

Sparatus looked at Shepard expectantly. "Do you really believe this can stop the Reapers?" The question was asked without any hint of sarcasm. _No_ , Shepard thought. _It's hope in his voice_. _Gotta give it to him_.

"Liara believes it can work, and so do I," Shepard replied confidently. "And while I haven't always agreed with Udina, he's right about this—we need to stand together. Now, more than ever." He and Liara exchanged glances, and then Shepard drove it home. "The Reapers won't stop at Earth. They'll destroy every organic being in the galaxy if we don't find a way to stop them."

Tevos looked at Valern, who apparently had the last word. Sparatus turned as well, both expectant. Valern shook his head. _That son of a bitch_ , Shepard thought. Tevos then looked back at Shepard.

"The cruel and unfortunate truth," Tevos said, "is that while the Reapers focus on Earth, we can prepare and regroup."

Then Valern added, as though it were some kind of consolation for the Council throwing Earth under the bus, "We are convening a summit amongst our species. If we can manage to secure our own borders, we may once again consider aiding you."

"I'm sorry, Commander," Tevos concluded. "That is the best we can do."

 _Not by a longshot_ , he thought. The whole thing was far too formal, far too prepared for it to have been off the cuff. They had already worked out their betrayal of humanity before the Normandy had docked. He would not forget this.

"This is why Cerberus exists, you know," Miranda called out. "You just betrayed a council world, whose Specter has been warning you about this for three years. Our fleet saved your lives, Councilors. We gave you a three-year head start, and you squandered it. Now that you've been proven wrong by Shepard, you're actually trying to lose, just to salvage your pathetic pride." Miranda smiled bitterly, shaking her head. "Pathetic. One thing I can say for Cerberus; at least they listened to Shepard. You ignored him—and he's your own guy!"

"Perhaps you don't wish to be a Spectre," Valern began, but that was the wrong move.

Miranda openly laughed. "You're pulling back and leaving the rest of the Citadel worlds to burn, all to save your own sorry skins, and you think my being a Spectre makes any difference?" She turned away from them, and waved them off without even looking at them. "Fire me if you can't take it.

Valern and Tevos looked at each other, but said nothing before they walked from the platform. Sparatus stood with Udina for a moment, but finally exited himself. Udina's shoulders slumped, his head bowed. Shepard actually felt sorry for him.

"Shepard, meet me in my office." Udina then exited the platform, visibly fuming.

"I hope that's an offer of support," Liara said.

"If the Illusive Man weren't indoctrinated," Miranda hissed, "I'd have made damn sure Shepard never left, and don't you think I couldn't have!"

Liara nodded. "And if he had stayed, I would have been in touch with you about five seconds ago."

 **N7**

While Shepard met with Udina, Miranda and Liara sat at Ashley's bedside. Ashley was comatose, but Liara insisted on talking to her. It was sweet, Miranda thought, but after a few moments, the conversation had moved back to the Council and Shepard. Miranda imagined that Ashley would have had quite a bit to say about the Council's decision.

"Humanity should have stood alone," Miranda lamented.

"No, you shouldn't," Liara corrected. "Your own leadership was as eager to deny the threat, and Cerberus could not have rallied your species. You would be in a worse position than you are now, with not only your own leaders, but the Council fighting your former organization as well, and we'd be more fragmented as a galaxy than we are now."

Miranda hated it when Liara was right, which was most of the time. "We're all going to die, Liara. At least we'd die not having had to witness that frog and your councilor do everything they could to see us go extinct."

Liara nodded. "Agreed, but if you and Shepard stayed with Cerberus, it would be guaranteed that we would lose. It's not over yet, not by a longshot, Miranda. And with Shepard in the fight, he might be more instrumental in getting the Asari on board than Tevos."

Mirnada found this odd. "Your people are that into Shepard? I would not have guessed."

Liara nodded. "This may make you jealous, but human males who resemble Shepard are very popular with Asari right now. One of our scientists even calculated what Shepard would look like if female, and human women who fit the bill are enjoying similar popularity."

Miranda raised an eyebrow at this. "You mean—they want Fem-Shep?"

LIara giggled at the comment. "I suppose you could put it that way, yes."

"Well, they can't have him; he's mine," Miranda said proudly.

Liara chuckled. "Now, now, Miranda, there are more than a few Asari women who would be happy to have you both."

"Flattering as that is, and as enjoyable as it no doubt would be," Miranda replied, "I'm monogamous."

"I know; I just wanted to be clear that you're not left out."

"Thank you, Liara, Now …"

Before she could finish, both her own, and Liara's omni-tools flashed a message alert, and then played the message. " _Normandy crew, report to the ship; we leave in twenty_."

Liara looked up at Miranda, a look of pensive surprise on her face. "That was fast."

"He must have something," Miranda declared. "Shepard never acts without a plan."

"Agreed," Liara replied. "I just hope it's something we can use."

"You and me both, Liara. You and me both."

 **N7**

While Shepard, Liara, and Miranda had met with the Council, the Alliance had staffed the Normandy with a skeleton crew, as opposed to just the three of them plus James and Joker. All duty stations were manned, and the ship had been stocked up with enough food for an extended voyage, and all raw materials needed for fabricating munitions and weapon modifications. Shepard toured the ship briefly before returning to his cabin, pleased to see Adams back in engineering.

After engineering, he went to the armory and shuttle-bay to check in with Vega, and found that Vega shared the area with a Lieutenant Esteban "Steve" Cortez. Like Vega, Steve was darker skinned than Shepard and Miranda. Unlike Vega, who was a hulking brute of a man, Cortez was a man of about one-point-eight meters tall, and fit, but not bulky. He also sported a standard military haircut, unlike Vega's gelled faux-Mohawk. Steve was personable and friendly, but had a touch of sadness about him, having lost his husband during a Collector attack.

Vega, however, was a different issue. Shepard went to see the big lieutenant, who was doing pull-ups as if he were a machine. The commander approached Vega's area, and the lieutenant just kept doing pull-ups while striking up a conversation.

"Hey Shepard, how'd it go with the Council?"

Shepard ignored Vega's familiar way of addressing him. "Same as usual; non-committal, unhelpful."

"Bet they still wanted you to help them out, no?"

"Yeah," Shepard replied. "We're going to rescue a Turian Primark from Palaven."

"Sounds like fun," Vega remarked. "Never been to the Turian home-world." Then he added, "You down here for a reason?"

Shepard turned and walked over to Vega's weapons bench, eyeing one of the pistols the lieutenant had modified. "It's my ship. I go where I want, and talk to who I want."

"Fair enough," Vega said as he continued to do pull-ups. "Not sure what there is to talk about. You already know my service record."

"I don't, actually," Shepard corrected, turning back to Vega. "I didn't have access to personnel records when we met."

"Right," Vega said with a groan as he pulled his bulk upward. "Forgot about that." He did one more pull-up, then as he came down, said, "Well …" standing on the ground, he moved his head from side to side, making a cracking sound. Then he began cracking his knuckles. "… think you can dance and talk at the same time?"

 _He's a good soldier, but he needs a refresher on subordination_ , Shepard thought. "Yes, I can— _lieutenant_." Shepard did not even wait for Vega, but walked out to the open area of the bay.

"You pullin' rank on me Boss?" Vega joined him, and put up his dukes. "We're all just soldiers down here, no?"

"Sure," Shepard growled. Then, he fired off a quick right, followed by a quick left. "But this soldier will clean the floor with you if you step out of line." Vega blocked both shots, but he was meant to; this needed to take time.

"Hah! You sound like my old C.O.," Vega said, some admiration in his voice, as he fired off a powerful left straight and right cross.

Shepard deflected both blows easily, barely any effort at all. Vega was slow. "Oh yeah? Who was that?"

"Captain Tony," Vega said, now just standing there with his guard up. "He was a hard ass son of a bitch."

Shepard punished Vega's moment of inaction with a right jab to the lieutenant's face, followed by a left cross to his chin, knocking him back. Apparently, Vega could _not_ talk and dance.

"Nice," Vega complimented, his face now bloodied. Vega came in hard this time, delivering two powerful hooks, which Shepard merely slapped away.

"What do you mean, 'was'?" Shepard decided to go on the defensive, but continued to circle Vega. The lieutenant was a little taller than Shepard, and at one-point nine-five meters in height, Shepard was not short by any means. Vega also had a solid ten kilos more—at least, and none of it fat, but he was clearly wary, trying to figure out what to do with the commander.

"Died—with most of my squad," Vega clarified. "Protecting a civilian colony from a Collector attack."

Something in saying this brought a change in Vega. He went from jocular arrogance to fuming and angry … only it was not at Shepard. Vega was dealing with something internal. He surged forward with a right-left combo. Shepard deflected the blows, fading back to avoid them just in case.

"And the colony?"

Vega was panting; not from being tired, but because his heart-rate was rising, and his anger was now bubbling to the surface. He threw two more punches. This time, Shepard just absorbed them with his forearms.

"It was either them," Vega exclaimed, "or the intel we had on the Collectors! Agh!" Shepard's combo found its mark as Vega spoke, driving Vega back, but the lieutenant continued his rant. "Intel we could have used to destroy them!" He threw another powerful hook, this one getting around Shepard's guard and clipping him in the jaw. No real force, thanks to the block, but Vega was now expressing his anger, and he was venting it onto Shepard. "I chose the intel."

 _So the colony was taken_ , Shepard thought. Struck by the implication, Shepard accidentally let one of Vega's hooks slip through, catching it on his left cheek again. Vega was strong, no doubt, but it would take a hell of a lot more than that to really stagger Shepard.

"Touch choice," Shepard remarked neutrally. "But it was the right call."

Vega panted, anger mixed with sadness on his face. "You think so?"

"I would have done the same," Shepard assured, knowing that sometimes, you have to sacrifice the few to save the many.

"That's what's funny," Vega said darkly. "You were doing the same thing. Taking out the Collectors." Vega panted again, and his eyes were now misting over. "We never needed that intel." He took a few more half-hearted shots at Shepard. The source of Vega's sadness was becoming clear; he blamed himself for their deaths. But Shepard needed this man functional.

"You didn't know. You can't blame yourself, Vega."

Vega dropped his guard low, and looked at him like a defiant child. "Who says I'm blaming myself?"

Shepard punished him, firing off a blistering flurry of blows, driving Vega back. This was war. There was no time for self-pity, and Vega needed to understand that. Every shot landed, but Vega was still standing. _Impressive_ , Shepard thought, but the commander never let up. "I do."

"You a shrink too?"

Vega let his guard down again, so Shepard hit him with a straight right, popping his head back, then a left uppercut, popping it again. "Nope." Shepard continued to press Vega with blow after blow, Vega blocking, but unable to counter. "But that stunt you pulled back on Mars was reckless. You're lucky to be alive."

Vega tried the same straight-uppercut combo Shepard had used, but found air. "So?" Again, he sounded like a teenager.

"So …" Shepard popped him in the nose again. "Maybe you don't care if you live or die …"

"Or maybe," Vega delivered a low kick, but Shepard's shin absorbed it. He followed up with two more punches that were easily blocked by Shepard. "I'm just willing to do whatever the fuck it takes to end this goddam war!"

 _You want MMA, fine_ , Shepard thought. As Vega threw a powerful right cross, Shepard caught his wrist mid-air, and turned, and threw him to the ground, delivering a final blow, which ended just inches from the bridge of Vega's nose. The lieutenant's eyes were wide, crossing as they focused on Shepard's fist. Had he connected, Shepard would have collapsed the man's nose and orbitals, taking him out of the war completely. That was not the goal.

"Maybe," Shepard partly agreed. "But if you're half the soldier I think you are, we need you alive." His fist then became an open hand, which Vega took, Shepard hauling him to his feet.

"Thanks for the pep-talk," Vega said. The lieutenant had regained some of his calm. Maybe Shepard had gotten through; only time would tell, though.

"Anytime."

"Hey, thanks for the dance—Loco."

"Loco, huh?" Shepard kind of liked the sound of that.

"I can think of worse things to call you," Vega noted.

"Long as you remember who's in charge, you can call me whatever you want."

"Oh, I won't forget," Vega assured, his face a bloody mess after Shepard's pummeling. The lieutenant went back to his duty station, and Shepard went to the lift. He had another, more pleasant, person to meet with.

 **N7**

Upon return to the CIC, he was greeted by Miranda. LIara had apparently disappeared into what had been Miranda's old cabin, which meant she would need a different place to bunk. Shepard knew where he would like her to bunk, but was not sure they were ready for that, or how the crew would feel about it. Even though he and Miranda had agreed to wait until marriage to make love, if she were in his cabin, it would appear as if they were having regular intercourse to the rest of the crew.

"John," she said, embracing him as he came off the lift. "Would you be so kind as to show me to my bunk?"

He had to give her the option. "Well, you can share mine if you're comfortable doing that …"

"I am, and were it not an Alliance ship, I would," she replied. "But we need to make it clear that we're not getting perks the rest of the crew is denied."

"I thought you might say that," he replied. "I was thinking you might be comfortable in Thane's old room?"

"That would be perfect," she replied. "I'll get it set up to my liking; a veritable Spectre's lair." Then she kissed him. "And that means you're welcome—anytime."

Shepard held out his arm. "Then allow me to escort you to your room—Ms. Lawson."

She giggled, blushing slightly. "But of course, Commander. Whatever you need."


	4. Chapter 4

**Palaven Under Siege**

After dealing with a Cerberus lab on Sanctum, Shepard ordered the Normandy to Palaven. It felt like he was making a side trip, even though he knew that this was the only chance, albeit a sideways one, of uniting the galaxy. With the weight of Primarch Fedorian behind him, Shepard hoped that the other Council Worlds would get on-board. That was assuming of course, that Fedorian actually would put his weight behind the unification effort, as implied by Sparatus.

As he stood at his podium, surveying the CIC and the Galaxy Map, he wondered if he had just been manipulated into grasping at straws. Earth was in no position of strength, so he could not even pack up and go home. The only other option would be to actually throw in with Cerberus. Certainly, the Illusive Man would welcome him, and likely Miranda as well, with open arms, he would just end up fighting Cerberus on the inside, while trillions died across the galaxy. Shepard could not risk that. He had to rescue Fedorian, and forge an alliance with the Turian hierarchy, no matter the cost.

The Normandy came through the mass relay, and headed to Palaven via FTL. The Turian home world was surrounded by a battle that seemed to fill the space around the planet and its moons, Manae and Nanus. With stealth systems active, the Normandy was able to thread its way through the chaos undetected, and entered the orbit of the moon, Manae. From there, Shepard, Liara, Miranda, and Vega boarded a shuttle and headed to moon's surface.

"Oh no … no … Palaven." Liara looked to be almost in shock looking at the devastation, and Miranda could understand why. Vega just looked confused.

"We have an old friend there," Shepard explained.

"Holy hell," Vega exclaimed. "They're getting decimated!"

"Devastated, actually," Miranda corrected, though her comment was largely ignored.

"Strongest military in the galaxy, and the Reapers are obliterating it," Shepard observed.

"Was it like this on Earth?" Liara's question voiced Miranda's thoughts. The destruction they were witnessing had no precedent. To think that she and Shepard fought to warn the galaxy of this threat, and were ignored. Shepard's answer was brief and definitive.

"Yes."

Liara visibly shuddered. "Shepard … I'm so sorry."

"How … how can they have ignored us?" Miranda was shaking with rage. "We … we warned them! All those lives being lost down there … all the innocents on Earth …"

"It was worse on the ground," Shepard said. "I had to wade through the ground force just to get to the Normandy. Saw it all, up close and personal. Political bastards denied it up until the newsfeeds began coming in, complete with images of the Reapers. Then they wanted a silver bullet solution on the spot. They were terrified, and nothing I was going to say could reassure them. Then the blast tore through the building. All of them died."

"At least they died at the hands of the threat they spent three years denying," Miranda said darkly. When Vega's eyes widened, she added, "Petty, I know, but they deserved it."

"Commander," Cortez called back from the cockpit, "the L.Z.'s getting swarmed."

Shepard stood. "James, open that hatch." With that, he unslung his assault rifle. Miranda knew the look. It was time for target practice.

As the shuttle came in low, Shepard, Miranda, Liara, and Vega opened fire on the swarms of husks, and soon, the L.Z. was clear enough for Cortez to land the shuttle. "Hit 'em hard," the commander shouted as they exited the shuttle, guns blazing. Miranda and Liara tossed husks aside with a wave of their hands as Vega and Shepard laid down a withering field of fire. Grateful Turians signaled their thanks as the quartette made its way to the base camp.

Miranda had remained active since the destruction of the Collector Base, but Shepard had been under house arrest. She had half expected him to have lost a bit of his edge, but it seemed as though his edge was sharper than ever. She could tell by the way he moved that, even after Cerberus thorough rebuild, the commander was feeling the age and the mileage. She doubted anyone else would notice, save perhaps Liara, but the change was there. In place of speed and agility was an implacable determination, and a toughness that allowed him to shrug off blasts that would flatten anyone else, Miranda included.

Before long, they were inside the camp, where Shepard sought out General Corinthus. Modular units that were only partially enclosed passed for a base. In ages past, these would have been tents. In spite of the obviously dire situation, the base camp was neat and organized, as one would expect of a camp run by a Turian general. Soon, they found Corinthus' command unit, where the general stood over a holographic display of the battlefield, flanked by two Turian officers.

Corinthus reminded her a bit of Garrus, or more precisely, what Garrus might have been had he not left C-Sec and joined Shepard three years ago.

"Tobestik, get your men up on that north barricade"

"Yes, sir," Tobestik barked as he left.

"Sergeant Bartus, find a way to get that comm tower operational."

Bartus fired off a crisp salute, and said, "Sir," before running off, leaving Corinthus alone at the strategy table.

"General," Shepard said, climbing the ramp to join Corinthus.

"Commander Shepard. Heard you were coming, but I didn't believe it. General Corinthus."

"I've come to get Primarch Fedorian," Shepard announced without preamble.

Corinthus reaction was initially silence, as he stood upright, a pained look on his face. He lowered his head, and said, "Primarch Fedorian is dead. His shuttle was shot down an hour ago as he tried to leave the moon."

It occurred to Miranda that Fedorian's fate could easily have been their own, had it not been for Cortez's skillful piloting. It reminded her that no matter how good Shepard was, he was still as vulnerable as anyone else when being ferried hither and nigh on ship or shuttlecraft—especially shuttlecraft. Shepard was visibly concerned, and Miranda felt that concern with him. Without Primarch Fedorian, this trip was all for naught, and Shepard's one chance of getting the Turians behind his bid to unite the galaxy was gone.

"That's gonna complicate things," the commander said. "How bad is it, General?"

"We just lost about four hundred men in half an hour," Corinthus explained. "We set up camps on this moon as an advance position to flank the enemy. A sound strategy … just …"

"Irrelevant," Shepard finished.

"Exactly," Corinthus agreed. "The sheer force of the Reapers seems to make them immune to that sort of tactic. The Primarch and his men found that out the hard way."

"I'm sorry," Shepard consoled. "I hear he was a good man."

"And a friend," Corinthus added. "He would have been an outstanding diplomat."

"Fedorian was respected, even within Cerberus," Miranda added. "His loss is …"

Shepard leaned against the table, asking, "So, what happens now?"

"The Turian Hierarchy provides very clear lines of succession," Liara interjected.

"Right," Shepard replied, and then looked at the general. "General Corinthus?"

"With such heavy casualties," Corinthus said, looking down at the map, "it's hard for me to be certain who the next primarch is. Palaven command will know. However, at the moment, contacting them is impossible. The comm tower is out. Husks are swarming that area. We can't get close enough to repair it."

"Don't worry, General," Shepard said, unslinging his rifle. "I'll get your comm tower operational."

"Thank you, Commander," Corinthus said, visibly relieved. "I'll take care of things on this end."

"Alright, let's go," Shepard ordered.

Miranda could hear Vega huffing as they ran, unused to the thinner air. _One thing about Shepard being N7_ , she thought; _he was trained in virtually every battleground environment imaginable_. Miranda herself had no trouble either; her enhanced genes and very thorough training saw to that. Liara, like most Asari, was unhindered as well.

"Shepard," Miranda called, "how certain are you that this will not end up being a colossal waste of time?"

"Not certain at all," he confessed, firing at a group of incoming husks. "But we're already here, and if we don't fix this tower for them, it'll be a bust no matter what."

She could not argue with that, though Vega took issue with her.

"How can you ask that? We've gotta do everything we can, no matter what!"

"Work smart, not hard," Miranda countered, finishing off the last of the husks with a powerful warp field. "We can't save everyone; the politicians and the Council saw to that. It's not our responsibility to save them all—we can't. If this is a dead end, we need to know before it's too late—or before any of us are killed running a fool's errand."

"You're a cold bi …"

"Don't finish that sentence Vega," Shepard warned. "Unfortunately, she's right. With nobody acting until the Reapers were here, there's no way to save everyone. We're doing this with almost no prep-work, short of what we did against Sovereign and Harbinger—and in both cases, that was just me and my crew."

"Cerberus did an enormous amount of prep-work," Miranda noted. "Sadly, the Illusive Man is insane, and everything devolved into fruitless efforts to control the Reapers."

"What?" Vega asked in mock surprise. "The end doesn't justify the means?"

"Sometimes," Miranda said. "But not all the time."

"Tower's in sight," Shepard called. "We've got a wall of husks to deal with, so cut the chatter."

Indeed, the husks were overwhelming. The four of them, however, were able to do what a Turian battalion could not: break through and get to the comm tower. Shepard dispatched Liara to fix the tower, which Miranda thought wise; she doubted Vega could fix much of anything that did not involve shooting or lifting.

"Back in action together," Miranda said, flashing John a playful smile. "Bad as things are, I've missed it."

"Me too," Shepard replied with a chuckle. "Now, let's wipe out every husk that tries to get past us."

"I'm on board with that," Vega chimed in.

True to his word, Vega proved quite effective in wiping out husks, and Miranda had to admit that he was good at that at the very least. The big marine wielded a turret style machine gun, something she thought Shepard might actually use. Loaded with incendiary rounds, Vega's gun spewed fiery death, leaving charred husks in his wake.

Shepard also utilized incendiary rounds, only instead of the oversized machinegun, he used an Avenger assault rifle, though it was plain to see that he had made hasty modifications to it. Miranda wielded a pair of Hurricane submachineguns she had picked out from Normandy's armory, and between the three of them, the husks fell in waves.

As the last husk fell, Liara rejoined them. "Dual wielding, Miranda—that's new."

Miranda shrugged. "I'm full of surprises."

"The comm tower is operational, Shepard," Liara assured.

"Then let's get back to the general," Shepard ordered. "We need to find out if there's a primarch for us to retrieve."

The quartet returned to General Corinthus' command center, where he still stood, hunched over his strategy table and maps. Shepard wasted no time with pleasantries, and hoped that this would not turn out to be a wasted trip.

"What have you got?"

"As your partner said," Corinthus began, "succession is usually simple. But right now, the hierarchy is in chaos—so many dead, or MIA."

That was not good enough. Earth was in shambles, hit before Palaven, and things were even worse. Shepard had little sympathy, and at this point, just wanted results. The galaxy owed him, owed humanity, and today, Shepard intended to collect. "I need someone—I don't care who, as long as they can get us the Turian resources we need."

Corinthus stood silently, but a familiar duotone voice changed everything. "I'm on it Shepard. We'll find you the Primarch." Striding up the ramp to join them was a tall, seasoned Turian veteran wearing familiar blue and silver armor and monocular visor. The scarring on the right side of his face a stark reminder of the rocket blast on Omega.

"Garrus!" At last, something went right for a change. It seemed the band was getting back together again after all.

"Vakarian, Sir," Corinthus barked. "I didn't' see you arrive …"

"At ease, General," Garrus replied. Clearly, Garrus Vakarian had earned a level of authority that he previously had not enjoyed, apparently now outranking generals. Could he be the primarch?

"Good to see you again," Shepard greeted, shaking his friend's hand. "I thought you'd be on Palaven."

"If we lose this moon," Garrus declared, "we lose Palaven. I'm the closest damn thing we have to an expert on Reaper forces, so I'm … advising."

Miranda looked at Garrus with approval. "You're more than an expert, Garrus," she reminded him. "You've been right there with Shepard from the very beginning fighting these things … while the rest of the stuffed shirts and politicians buried their heads in the sand and played politics with our lives. They damn well better listen to you."

 _Miranda doesn't pull any punches, that's for sure_ , Shepard thought, unable to suppress a grin. "Damn right, they better." Shepard turned to Vega, who was striding up the platform with Liara. "James, this is Garrus Vakarian. He helped me take down Sovereign, and helped us stop the Collectors. He's a hell of a soldier."

Vega silently shook Garrus' hand, a look of admiration in his eyes. Garrus was like Shepard: legendary, and his very name commanded respect.

Garrus nodded. "Lieutenant." Then he looked past Vega to their Asari companion. "Good to see you too, Liara."

"Good to see you in one piece, Garrus." Liara looked like she might say more, but Garrus turned back to Shepard.

"General Corinthus filled me in. We know who we're after."

Corinthus looked up from his table. "Palaven Command tells me the next primarch is General Adrien Victus."

Miranda cocked her head to one side. "Why didn't you just say that in the first place?"

"Victus," Liara noted. "His name's crossed my desk."

"Know him, Garrus?" Shepard asked, hoping the answer was yes, and that Victus would be as promising as Fedorian had been.

"I was fighting alongside him this morning," Garrus replied. "Lifelong military, gets results, popular with his troops." He paused for a moment, then added, "Not so popular with military command—has a reputation for playing fast and loose with accepted strategy."

"What do you mean?"

"On Taetrus, during the uprisings," Liara chimed in, "his squad discovered a Salarian spy ring about the same time the Turian separatists did. Rather than neutralize the ring, he fell back. He even gave up valuable fortifications, which the rebels took."

"Then the rebels attacked the Salarians," Garrus continued. "And when both groups had worn each other down, Victus moved back in. Didn't lose a man."

"Bold stragety," Corinthus noted. "But wild behavior doesn't get you advanced up the meritocracy."

 _Clearly, it does_ , Shepard thought, _or some by the book lackey like you would in line to be primarch_.

"Primarch VIctus," Garrus said with admiration. "That should be something to see."

"Unconventional thinking might be the only way to save Palaven," Shepard noted. "And Earth."

"He'll do whatever it takes," Garrus said. Touching Shepard's shoulder, he added, "Reminds me of an old human Spectre I knew."

"Okay," Shepard said. "Let's get him on the shuttle, and get out of here."


	5. Chapter 5

**Primarch Victus**

Shepard was about to lead his squad, bolstered by Garrus, to extract General Victus, when Joker's voice sounded in his earpiece.

" _Commander! Shepard, come in!_ "

"Can this wait, Joker? We're in the middle of a warzone."

" _We've got a situation on the Normandy, Commander," Joker explained. "It's like she's possessed—shutting down systems, powering up weapons. I can't find the source._ "

"I need the Normandy standing by," Shepard declared, annoyed that this was happening now of all times. "We may need to bug out."

Before Shepard could say more, Liara volunteered. "Should I go back and take a look?"

"Do it." As Liara ran off, Shepard turned to Garrus. "Garrus, you said you were with Victus this morning?"

"Yeah, but we got separated. He went to bolster a flank that was breaking. Could be anywhere out there."

"We're trying to raise him, Commander," Corinthus interjected.

Vega's shout ended the discussion. "Incoming harvester! Headed for the airfield!"

"General, tell Primarch Victus we'll rendezvous here," Shepard said. Then he turned to Vega, Miranda, and Garrus. "In the meantime, let's go take care of whatever that thing dropped off." With a grin, he added, "Coming Garrus?"

Garrus cocked his rifle. "Are you kidding? I'm right behind you!"

With that, the four of them were off, Shepard leading the way.

Miranda had little trouble keeping up, though she could hear the big Vega breathing hard as they ran. Shepard noticed it too.

"James, is that you breathing so hard?"

"Atmosphere's a little thinner than I'm used to, is all. Adrenaline's better than oxygen any day!"

As the Reaper forces sprung up around them, Miranda could not help but shake her head at Vega's comment.

"Your suit has environmental acclimation," she shouted. "If you'd where your god damn helmet, you wouldn't be having this problem!"

"You're not wearing one!"

"I'm not breathing hard either," she replied, effortlessly slamming an incoming marauder with her biotics.

Shepard unleashed biotic shockwave, knocking aside husks and marauders. Miranda was shocked at the power; even Jack's shockwaves, her signature attack, were not so powerful, and up to now, Miranda had never seen shockwaves stronger than hers.

"Less talking, more shooting!" Shepard sounded annoyed, sending more husks flying with a biotic push.

James suddenly asked, "Is it just me, or do those Reapers look like Turians?"

"I noticed it too," Miranda said she fought.

"Yeah," Shepard said grimly. "Turian husks."

"And the Reapers will pay for each and every one of them," Garrus declared.

As they fought, Miranda took notice of how much Shepard's biotics had improved since the Collector Mission. As more Reaper forces closed in, Shepard threw up a barrier, something Jacob had done very effectively. Instead of shooting from behind, however, he pushed outward, causing it to expand explosively. In a less than two minutes, they had wiped out a whole battalion of Reaper forces. Garrus looked at Shepard with admiration and some small amount of apprehension.

"Where did you learn to do that?"

"Figured it out on my own," Shepard said. "Miranda helped me out on the Collector Mission. I just kept practicing what she told me."

"Thank you for the credit, Shepard," she said, "but nothing I showed you accounts for that. You're biotics are on par with the most accomplished Asari commandoes, perhaps even greater."

Vega looked on silently, clearly surprised by the commander's display of biotic power. Shepard had mentioned that Liara thought he was the fulfilment of some Asari prophecy, and Miranda was beginning to wonder if perhaps Liara were correct.

"Let's get back to Corinthus," Shepard directed. "He may have news for us."

Sure enough, Corinthus did. As they started to return, Miranda heard Corinthus's voice in her earpiece. He spoke to Shepard, but the commander had linked her into his communications.

" _Shepard, come in._ "

"Go ahead."

" _Still trying to raise the Primarch, but we've got trouble back here at the main barricade. If the Reapers breach it, we're done!_ "

"On my way," Shepard assured.

The four of them ran to the main barricade and climbed atop it, Shepard taking charge of the main gun. Turians lay dead around them, and only the physical wall held back the bulk of the Reaper forces. Once Shepard and his squad arrived, however, that began to change. Vega and Garrus each began taking out husks with their assault rifles while Shepard used the turret to take out whole swaths of them. Miranda used her biotics, punctuated by bursts from her twin submachine guns.

Killing the Reaper forces seemed almost mechanical, prompting James to shout, "Pickin' em off! Maybe I can do three at a time! Wahoo!"

"Okay, come on," Garrus shouted. "Who's next?"

This prompted James to shout, "Yeah, Like fish in a barrel!"

"What?" Garrus seemed unsure of the meaning initially, but it became clear soon enough. It seemed as if it was a shooting gallery specifically set up for Shepard's quartet. Wave after wave fell before them … until a harvester dropped in a large creature, one they had not seen before. This armored brute was derived from a Krogan, though it appeared to have the head of a Turian.

"Holy hell," James shouted. "What is that thing?"

The brute rammed the wall, causing it to buckle and shudder, and Shepard to fall from it, landing on the ground with the brute. Miranda feared for him momentarily, but then, Shepard rammed it with a biotically powered charge, knocking it back. He then finished it off with a shot to the head from his pistol. As the brute fell, Miranda saw no more forces in the immediate area. That was the last.

As the brute fell, Corinthus contacted them. " _Shepard, Corinthus here_."

"What's the word on the Primarch?" Shepard asked.

" _Still can't get a stable comm link_."

"Okay, I'm going on foot. Shepard out."

"To where?" Miranda asked.

"To wherever Garrus saw him last," Shepard replied. "We'll track him from there. We wait around for Corinthus to get a stable comm link, he'll be dead by the time we find him."

"Follow me," Garrus replied, heading off almost immediately.

To find Primarch Victus, Shepard, Garrus, Miranda, and Vega had to fight their way through over two kilometers of Reaper forces. When they finally reached him, Victus and his men were hunkered down, facing three of those brutes, along with swarms of husks, marauders, and cannibals. The brutes were the worst.

"Okay, double time," Shepard shouted. "No Reaper's taking this primarch from me!"

"Right behind you," Vega said exuberantly.

With that, the four of them dove into the battle. It was the most intense ground fighting Miranda had ever experienced, and only her own very powerful biotics kept her from being overwhelmed. She grudgingly had to admit that Vega was good in a ground fight, though she still did not like the man. Shepard's increasing biotic ability, however, continued to impress, and before long, they subdued the Reaper forces, and had saved Victus and his men.

The bunker opened, and two Turians stepped out. One was an important looking man, clearly a high-ranking officer.

"General Victus?," Shepard half said/half asked as they approached.

"Yes."

"I'm Commander Shepard of the Normandy."

"Ah, Commander," Victus said. "I know who you are. I can't wait to find out what brings you out here." Then Victus turned to Garrus. "Vakarian—where did you go?"

"Heavy Reaper unit on the right flank," Garrus said matter of factly. "I believe your exact words were, "get that thing the hell off of my men."

"Appreciate it."

Something about Victus, Miranda could not put her finger on it, made her like him right away.

With the pleasantries out of the way, Shepard approached Victus. "General, you're needed off planet. I've come to get you."

The general shook his head. "It will take something beyond important for me to leave my men, or my Turian brothers and sisters, in their fight."

"Fedorian was killed," Garrus interjected. "You're the new primarch."

"You're needed immediately to chair a summit and represent your people in the fight against the Reapers," Shepard said.

VIctus silently walked past Shepard to an outcropping and looked at Palaven in the sky. Large parts of the planet were burning. Miranda winced, knowing that Earth was likely in a similar state, if not worse.

"I'm primach of Palaven? Negotiating for the Turian Hierarchy?"

"Yes," Shepard said.

Victus turned back to Shepard. "I've spent my whole life in the military. I'm no diplomat … I hate diplomats."

Miranda chuckled at the comment, knowing that Shepard felt exactly the same way.

"What makes you think you're not qualified?" Shepard asked.

"I'm not really a by the book kind of guy … and I piss people off."

Miranda smiled. "Too bad the Alliance doesn't have more men like you."

"My family's been military since the Unification War. War is my life. It's in my bones," Victus explained. "But that kind of passion is … deceptive. Can make you seem reckless when you're anything but."

 _My god_ , _Miranda thought, he's Turian Shepard!_

"War is your resume," Shepard countered. "At a time like this, we need leaders who've been through that hell."

Victus smiled, an expression few humans could notice. "I like that. You're right."

"And honestly," Shepard continued, "Uniting these races may take as much strength as facing the Reapers." Shepard turned and walked to the same outcropping, motioning to Palaven. "See this devastation, Primarch? Double that for Earth." Miranda felt as though she had been punched in the gut. _How much of Earth is even left?_ "I need an alliance. I need the Turian fleet."

Victus strode to Shepard, and the two men stood face to face in silence for a moment. "Give me a moment to say good bye to my men." Shepard nodded, and Victus walked off.

Garrus approached Shepard, declaring, "Without him down here, there's a good chance we lose this moon."

"Without him up there, there's a good chance we lose everything."

Garrus said no more; Shepard was right. Miranda loved how John could always see the big picture. Most could not see the forest through the trees. Unfortunately, that included most all of the galaxy's political leadership. With Victus as primarch, perhaps things would improve.

The sound of a Reaper capital ship shattered the stillness, and Garrus looked over at it.

"Look at that! And they want my opinion on how to stop it?" he shook his head. "Failed C-Sec officer, vigilante … and I'm their expert advisor?" Then he got quiet. "Think you can win this thing, Shepard?"

"Yeah, I don't know, Garrus. But I'm sure as hell gonna give it my best shot."

"He can," Miranda assured, taking her place at Shepard's side. "More importantly, we can. The Reapers are here; the politicians can't bury their heads in the sand and pretend this problem doesn't exist—not anymore. Nobody want to be the one to take the blame for the Reapers winning."

"We just need to get them to see beyond their own planets," Shepard noted.

"I'm damn sure nobody else can do it," Garrus said. "For whatever it's worth, I'm with you."

The two shook hands, and Shepard said, "Welcome aboard."

Miranda touched Shepard, seeing Victus finishing up with his men, prompting the commander to ask, "Are you ready, Primarch Victus?"

"One thing," Victus said as he joined them. "I appreciate your need for our fleets, but I can't spare them. Not while my world is burning. But if the pressure could be taken off Palaven …"

"That's a pretty tall order," Shepard noted.

"We need the Krogan," Victus said. "I can't see us winning this without them. Get them to help us, and then we can help you."

"The Krogan …" Shepard and Miranda said in unison.

"Looks like your summit just got a lot more interesting," Garrus said.

Miranda and Shepard just looked at each other. "Interesting" did not even come close.


	6. Chapter 6

**Edi**

The trap had been sprung, but Edi was prepared for that. She had been unprepared for the ferocity and strength of Eva's attacks, and considered the damage to the ship to be unfortunate, though the outcome was beneficial to the Normandy and her crew. She looked down at herself … looking down at her hands, her torso, and her legs … it was a new experience. She now had the form of a human being, albeit with a synthetic polymer skin. Originally, the body had an artificial epidermis, though this had burned off in Eva's shuttle collision with Vega. Edi found herself thankful that the body beneath the epidermis was not a skeletal structure, as this would be immediately disquieting to the crew.

The AI core was flooded with smoke, and the fire extinguishing system had doused the room with a fine mist, making regular vision difficult. Edi's new platform, however, could see in spectrums of light that humans could not, and as the door opened, she could see three men entering. Two had fire extinguishers, but the third wore an Alliance officer's uniform. She knew immediately that it was Commander Shepard.

"Edi, talk to me," he said, concern evident in his voice.

She restored the main systems as she stood and walked through the mist to greet the commander in the manner that humans did for the very first time. "Is there a particular topic you wish to discuss … Shepard?"

One of the soldiers drew his pistol and raced ahead of Shepard, pointing it at her.

"Edi?" Shepard was still unsure.

She looked at her limbs, watching her hand move, feeling the joints and motors as they made the hand move. "Yes."

"You're in Doctor Eva's body," he observed, motioning for the soldiers to lower their weapons.

"Not all of me, but I have control of it." She folded her arms and shifted her weight to one leg in the manner than she had seen Miranda do. "It was not a seamless transition."

"A transition?" He paused, looking at her. "You blacked out on us for a while."

Edi profiled her body and folded her arms. "Correct. When we brought this unit on board, I began a background process to search for information on the Prothean device. This eventually triggered a trap—a backup power source and CPU activated, and the unit attempted physical confrontation. Fortunately, I gained root access, and repurposed the unit as I saw fit. During the process it … struggled. Thus the fire."

Shepard seemed alarmed. "Edi, you need to alert us about incidents like this. You shouldn't have done this alone."

"Bringing the crew up to speed would have been counterproductive. All attempts to help would have been limited by reaction time."

The fire control system ceased discharging its fine mist, the fires now fully extinguished. The two soldiers who had entered with Shepard looked around the room, and then back at each other, unsure of what to make of it all. Shepard motioned for them to leave, prompting them to salute and depart, leaving Edi alone with Shepard.

"So if you're in there, are you still in the ship?"

"I exist primarily within the ship," Edi explained. "For optimal control, this unit should remain within Normandy's broadcast or tight beam range."

"Are you planning to take that body somewhere?"

"Normandy's weaponry is not suited to every combat situation. This platform could provide limited fire ground support."

Shepard seemed pleasantly surprised. "You mean you could come with us?"

"Correct. This body could accompany you to areas the Normandy cannot reach."

"Before we do that, I need you to guarantee that this mech doesn't have any more surprises in it." He then folded his arms. "Run whatever tests you can. Then we can talk about using it in combat situations."

"One moment," she replied. "I am running trials. Complete. I can send you a full report if you wish." Then another priority manifested. "However, my first step should be restoring functionality to the Normandy to reassure the crew that all is normal."

"Just don't be surprised if the crew is a little wary of your new body; it was shooting at them a little while ago."

"An excellent point. I will take it to the bridge. Joker will also want to see it."

"On that we can agree."

Miranda standing at the galaxy map was a sight unfamiliar to any of the Normandy crew. Normally, the Normandy would be staffed with the finest Alliance crew available, but with the devastating losses in the wake of the Reaper invasion, many of the finest had already been killed. This Alliance crew may have had the heart, but they lacked the experience. Many were just raw recruits, fresh out of boot camp, who had never had a posting prior to the legendary S.S.V. Normandy SR-2.

Miranda, on the other hand, was as experienced and seasoned as they came, and had biotics on par with an Asari commando to boot. Her being a Spectre, and having a reputation as an ice queen made her nigh unapproachable. Many looked down at their duty stations as she passed by, while others would freeze mid-sentence, and then apologize for idle chatter. Miranda merely smiled and nodded, going about her business.

This was not the first time she had been first officer aboard the Normandy—Miranda served as Shepard's first officer during the Collector mission. That was with a Cerberus crew, though. Whatever they thought of her, they knew her place in Cerberus, and were comfortable operating with her. This crew did not know what to make of a former Cerberus operative turned Alliance and made into a Spectre.

As Miranda stood at the bridge, looking down at the CIC and the galaxy map, she became aware of someone's eyes upon her. She looked slightly to her right, and caught Samantha Traynor looking up at her admiringly. As soon as their eyes met, Traynor hurriedly looked down at her terminal, trying to make like she had been working all along. That did it.

"Specialist Traynor," Miranda said commandingly. "Is there something on your mind?"

"No, ma'am. Sorry, ma'am. It won't happen again."

Miranda sighed. "What won't happen again, specialist."

"I'm sorry, ma'am … I … I'm sorry."

"I trust the rest of the crew can do their job for five seconds without my hovering." Miranda stepped down from the platform and took Traynor by the arm. "Walk with me."

Miranda walked Traynor to the airlock, the only place on deck two with relative privacy. Traynor stood rigidly, her eyes wide open, staring at Miranda as though she were scared to death of the Normandy's first officer.

"Everyone on this damned ship stops what they're doing, and then hunkers down behind their terminals, pretending to have been focused on work all along. Now you're doing it. None of you do that with Shepard, so why do you do it with me?"

Traynor gulped. "I can't speak for the rest of the crew, ma'am, but I was just …"

"Traynor, you were standing there staring at me. I'm not offended, but when you saw me look at you, you buried your head in your terminal. Did you have a question for me, or something to bring to my attention?"

"No, ma'am. Just … looking, ma'am."

"Just looking? At what?"

"It won't happen again, ma'am, I'm …"

"Sorry; I know." Miranda's voice had been steadily rising, and Traynor was now almost in tears. _This is getting out of hand. I can't believe how much these kids need to be coddled!_ She lifted Traynor's chin with her finger, and smiled. "Samantha, you don't need to be afraid of me. None of you do. Now, is there something you wanted to say? Shepard speaks highly of your hunches and ideas. If you see something that needs our attention while I'm in command, I'd like to know."

"This is so embarrassing, ma'am," Traynor said softly. "I was just admiring you. Nothing more. You're … exceptionally beautiful."

Now it made sense. "Samantha, I don't think the rest of the crew is just admiring me, but I'm glad that's all it was with you."

"They see you as severe, and they're afraid of you."

Miranda sighed. "I know. I don't know how Shepard handles it. They've got to be afraid of him."

"It's different, ma'am," Traynor explained. "They kind of worship him. Since he enlisted and came up through the ranks, they see him as one of them too. They don't perceive you the same way." She paused, and then added, "Please don't be too upset at my staring."

Miranda looked away. "I was designed to be ogled," she absently remarked. "I'm used to it." She shook her head. "It's nothing, Traynor. Just don't be afraid of me. We're a team. I know I'm not Shepard, and I know my being a Spectre makes people nervous. Don't be. Just work with me like you would anyone else." Miranda smiled. "Dismissed, specialist."

"Yes, ma'am."

Traynor saluted and returned to her duty station, while Miranda just stood quietly for a few moments. It would take time for the Alliance crew to trust her, having been former Cerberus. Shepard assured her that it would happen, though in truth, as long as they did what they were told, and did not give her any guff, that was enough for her.

With the ship back to normal, and Edi now a self-actualized person, Shepard could now get back to the task at hand: uniting the galaxy. To that end, he went to the QEC vid-com and contacted Tevos, the Asari Councilor. Of the three non-human council races, the Asari were the least antagonistic to the Krogan, so Shepard hoped to generate some support for the idea of a Krogan alliance with Tevos' help. Victus was already in for the Turians, and indeed, it was his idea. A Salarian dalatrass was scheduled for the summit as well, but Shepard did not know her, and word was that she was not happy about the Krogan attending. To his surprise, Tevos was adamantly opposed to the idea.

It seemed that Dalatrass Nimron had already spoken with Tevos and was "monumentally upset." In spite of Shepard's entreaties, emphasizing that the alliance with the Krogan was necessary to ensure the survivival of all, Tevos' answer boiled down to a fairly blunt response.

"I'm sorry, Commander, but the Asari will not be at your summit."

As her image winked out, Shepard sighed. "I hate politicians."

With Shepard back on the bridge, Miranda found herself in the lounge. Since coming aboard, quality time with Shepard had been sparse. It was not for lack of trying, but the demands placed on both Shepard and the crew were monumental. As she enjoyed a beverage at the bar, Edi took a seat beside her.

"Hello Ms. Lawson."

Miranda wanted to move over one seat, but knew that would be rude. Edi's having a body was something for which Miranda was unprepared. In the past, she had been sharply critical of Edi, never truly trusting the AI. Now, that AI was seated next to her, and wearing the body of a comely artificial woman.

"Edi."

"I wish to speak with you." At least Edi was not afraid of her.

"About?"

"Us."

Miranda turned in her chair to face Edi, surprised by the remark. "Us? I was not aware that there was an 'us' to speak of."

Edi shook her head. "Not a romantic us; just us—you and me."

That was a relief. Edi was attractive enough, and Miranda had always enjoyed an attraction for both men and women, but she only loved Shepard. "Okay—us; what about us?"

"We are the only members of the Normandy crew who had no prior Alliance connection prior to the Collector mission. Jeff was famous as Shepard's pilot after the Battle of the Citadel, and Shepard is an Alliance hero. You and I were Cerberus agents until the conclusion of the Collector Mission. I believe this is the source of some of the mistrust we experience."

Miranda resisted the urge to come back with a quip about Edi being an AI in a body that had been shooting at Shepard's squad only a few days ago. Now that Edi mentioned it, the Cerberus connection made sense. It was something Miranda had considered, but not given much thought to.

"Shepard and I denied Cerberus their objectives, and turned over Cerberus assets to the Alliance. Cerberus is trying to have me killed because of it! Hell, if it weren't for me, Shepard would have remained dead! How could they still mistrust me?"

"I did not imply that their feelings are logical, Ms. Lawson," Edi noted. "I was merely pointing out one of the sources of those feelings. I predict that they will trust you as we continue the mission, however, it will take time."

"That's something at least."

Shepard stood with Primarch Victus in the Normandy's new war room. On the Collector Mission, this had been the meeting room, with a large table in the center, which could collapse into the floor and convert into a Q.E.C. message projector. The War room took up more space, and Shepard was not certain where the engineers had found that space. The room was now circular, with two terraced levels; a higher ring along the wall, and a lower central floor. In the center of the room was a large font ringed with terminals, which showed holographic projections. At present, the crucible's progress was displayed.

"Commander, thank you for allowing me the use of your ship, and for going along with this plan," Victus opened. "Garrus said he had to attend to the Normandy's weapons systems—something about … calibrations."

Shepard chuckled at that. "Sounds like Garrus. I'm sorry to say the Asari Councilor won't be joining us. She thinks there's too much bad blood with the Krogan."

"She may be right," Victus conceded with a sigh. "But there'll be a lot more blood—real blood if we don't try."

"When you put it that way …"

"The sooner we have the summit, the sooner we'll know."


	7. Chapter 7

**Priority Sur'Kesh**

Shepard strode into the meeting room, seeing his friend, Wrex, for the first time since bringing Grunt to Tuchanka. Primarch Victus and Dalatrass Linron were also present. Things were already going badly.

"The Krogan is in no position to make demands," Linron declared.

"The Krogan has a name," Wrex growled. "Urdnot Wrex. And I'm not just some junkyard varren you unleash whenever you're in trouble." Wrex paused and nodded, acknowledging Shepard's arrival, and then turned back to Linron. "I've got my own problems. Reaper scouts have arrived on Tuchanka …" turning to Victus, he asked, "… so why should I care if a few Turians go extinct?"

Shepard shook his head. Victus represented the one hope the Krogan had of reentering galactic society, and without the Turians, that society would cease to exist. Thankfully, Victus did not rise to the bait.

"Trying to draw out negotiations will get you nowhere, Wrex. I have no time for it. Just tell us what you want."

Wrex leaned on the table, causing it to bend under his ponderous eight hundred pound bulk. "I'll tell you what I need." he looked around at each of the attendees, including Shepard. "A cure for the genophage."

Linron's eyes went wide. She dismissively waved her hand, saying, "Absolutely not! The genophage is nonnegotiable!"

Up to now, Shepard had remained silent. "Why are you so opposed to the idea, Dalatrass?"

"Because my people uplifted the Krogan," she explained. "We know them best."

"You mean you used us," Wrex countered. "To fight a war you couldn't win! It wasn't the Salarians, the Asari, or even the Turians that stopped the Rachni! It was Krogan blood that turned the tide!"

"And after that, you ceased to be useful!" LInron then added, "The genophage was the only way to keep your … "urges" in check."

Wrex glared at her, and for a moment, Shepard thought he might kill the Dalatrass. Surprisingly, it was Victus who broke the tension.

"Dalatrass, you may not like him, but Wrex is right. Insulting won't change that."

"I won't apologize for speaking the truth," Linron snapped. Shepard had had enough.

"Neither will I," the commander barked. "You hung my people out to dry after all your high and mighty talk of Council worlds coming to the aid of Council worlds in need. The capacity to do just that is a requirement for a seat on the Council, but clearly that aid is a one way street. You're all take, with no intention of giving. You cooperate, or I take measures into my own hands!"

"You wouldn't dare …"

"This is a matter of galactic peace," Shepard said coldly. "I'm a Spectre, charged by the council to insure that peace … no matter the cost, and by any means necessary. I can wipe you off the galactic map without any legal consequences. Don't you forget that!"

"Hah! Now that's the Shepard I know and love," Wrex bellowed.

"This is pointless," Victus interjected. "Whether or not they deserve a cure is academic. It would take years to formulate one."

"My information says otherwise," Wrex countered, walking to the table's end, displacing Victus, and activating the table's projector, linking it with his omni-tool. "A Salarian scientist named Maelon grew a conscience. He was on my planet testing a cure on our females."

Shepard inwardly shuddered at that recollection. "I remember. His method were barbaric."

"But what you didn't know was that other females survived his experiments." The projector then showed a images of a Salarian lab, female Krogan being kept in cells. "So the Dalatrass here sent in a team to clean up the whole mess—and to take them prisoner."

"Where did you get this?" Linron was unsettled, almost stammering. "It … it could be a fabrication!"

Wrex turned his wrath in her direction. "Don't insult me! Those are my people! They're immune to the genophage, and you're going to give them back!"

Victus then stood beside Wrex. "Dalatrass, is this true?"

"How will curing the genophage benefit my people?" she asked, avoiding the question.

"How long do you think you'll last alone against the Reapers?" Shepard asked. "Because if you don't help, that's how it'll end up."

"And I'll be the last friendly Turian you ever see," Victus said menacingly.

"What's it going to be?" Shepard asked impatiently.

Linron lowered her head, almost defeated. "The females are being kept at one of our STG bases on Sur Kesh." Shepard was already moving toward the door. "But I'm warning you, Commander, the consequences of this will be …"

Shepard turned, and leaned on the table. "Will be nothing compared to what will happen if the Reapers win!"

"Let's get the females," Wrex urged.

"You're not setting foot on Sur Kesh," Linron barked. "This will take time to …"

"It happens now," Victus growled. "As a Council Spectre, Shepard can oversee the exchange."

"We're going," Shepard declared.

As they left, Linron shouted, "I won't forget this, Commander! A bully has few friends when he needs them most!"

As Shepard vanished without a reply, Linron sent her signal. If Shepard wanted to play tough, she would give him something to shoot at. Soon, that STG base would be crawling with Cerberus troops, and the female Krogan would all be dead.

The shuttle sped to Sur'Kesh, Shepard, Miranda, and Garrus aboard, along with Wrex. This could go very bad very quickly. Wrex was ready to roll, all guns blazing, while Shepard was hoping for a more diplomatic exchange. Miranda kept her fingers crossed that things would not get out of hand, though she had a feeling that they would.

"This is the Salarian homeworld we're heading to," Shepard reminded Wrex. "They aren't used to seeing Krogan here, so let's keep it simple. We land, get the females, and leave before anyone changes their mind."

"I still don't trust a word they say," Wrex stated as he readied his weapons.

"Let diplomacy play out, Wrex," Shepard encouraged. "You'll get what you want."

"These females are the best, and probably last hope for my people," Wrex reminded him, some desperation in his voice.

"Which is why Shepard and I will make sure we get them back," Miranda said, trying to reinforce Shepard's diplomatic course. "Don't worry, Wrex. Shepard will get this done. You know you can trust him."

"I appreciate that, Miranda. I liked you when we met on Tuchanka. Glad you're along for this one."

"We'll bring them home, Wrex," Garrus assured. "You've waited long enough for this day."

"Commander," Cortez announced from the cockpit, "I have the Salarian base on the sensors."

"Set her down," Shepard ordered.

The shuttle arrived at the base a few minutes later, but was unable to land, hovering about three meters off of the landing pad. Cortez explained why.

"Salarian ground control says we don't have clearance to land."

"Tell them the dalatrass authorized this herself." Shepard pondered what he would do if she had double-crossed him. Someone would pay, that was certain.

"I knew they'd never keep their word!" With that, Wrex started toward the door. "Let's see them try to stop a Krogan air drop." Kicking the door open, Wrex leapt from the shuttle with a loud growl.

"Wrex!" Shepard's shout was too late. The Krogan clan chief was already on the landing pad, guns drawn. Over the loud speakers, Shepard could hear the announcement, "We have an unauthorized … landing." Salarians scrambled to meet Wrex, holding their omni-tools out, incineration ready to go.

"And who authorized you to hold my race hostage?" Wrex flung them against the wall with a powerful biotic push, and brandished his shotgun. In moments, he was covered with red dots from the Salarian sharpshooters' sights.

Shepard, Garrus, and Miranda joined Wrex on the platform, their own weapons drawn. Two more Salarians ran up, their omni-tools brandished. Shepard located the snipers, and lifted his hands, bringing them from their perches, holding them aloft. Unable to shoot, the snipers were effectively neutralized. A panicked Salarian officer ran to the front, shouting "Stand down! Hold your fire!"

Out of breath, the officer went straight to Shepard. "Commander Shepard, restrain your colleague! We only found out about this transfer a few moments ago."

"Does Salarian hospitality always come with sharpshooters?" Shepard was having none of it. Energy danced around his raised fist, telling of what he could do, even without the weapons he bristled with. In his other hand was the arc projector, capable of taking out up to ten foes at a time with a powerful arcing lightning bold. "This is an insult to the Alliance!"

"Please understand, no matter what some politician might say, Krogan are still considered a hostile race."

"I wonder why," Wrex said sarcastically.

"After what your councilor and government has pulled, you might soon be adding humans to that list," Shepard growled. "I'll raze this base to the ground, killing every one of you little shits if I have to. I'll get what we came for. You know what happens to people who threaten me."

"I understand," the Salarian said diplomatically. "And on behalf of the Salarian Union, I apologize. But we must insist the Krogan remain under guard."

Wrex growled, and Shepard threatened, "And if we insist otherwise?"

"Then you'll have another war on your hands."

"You really want to play it that way? You knew about the Reapers years ago. I made damn sure of it. Now, you're standing in my way. I'm a Spectre, charged with maintaining the safety of the galaxy … at all costs. I have authority from the Citadel Council to wipe this base off the map if I need to. And if you don't think I can do it, just ask the Collectors." The Salarian winced at this. There was no denying that Shepard was ready to move. The commander readied his weapon. "I'm not waiting any longer. This ends now."

"Your colleague may retain his weapons," the officer assured. "We only ask that he remain under escort. Is that too much to ask?"

Shepard looked at Wrex, who nodded, and then lowered his own weapon. "That's acceptable. Now, get us the Krogan females. Now."

It seemed that this would have been the end of it, but they were then brought into the base. As they entered, they passed a containment cell holding a Yahg, which pounded the containment field, nearly rupturing it.

"Careful," the officer shouted. "Watch the containment shield!"

"That will be in my report," Shepard said. "Your possession of it is against Council law."

Once inside, Shepard, Garrus, and Miranda were taken to the STG labs below, where they were to meet the project lead. Along the way, Shepard could hear all manner of security warnings, and could see forces scrambling. This was not about Wrex and the prisoner transfer. This was something else. They needed to get out without further delay. Shepard was about to complain about how long this was taking, when a familiar voice called out, "Shepard, excellent timing." It was Mordin Solus. "Good to have you here."

"Mordin!" Shepard could hardly believe it.

"Eyesight still sharp," Mordin said, shaking Shepard's had. "Surprise understandable. Hadn't expected to return to work."

"You're back with STG?"

"Special consultant," Mordin explained. "Had to be me. Someone else might have gotten it wrong."

"Same old Mordin," Miranda noted.

"Now it really does seem like the band is getting back together," Garrus observed.

Mordin nodded, and then leaned in, holding his right hand up to cover his mouth. "Helped female Krogan. Fed information to Clan Urdnot. Encouraged political pressure to free females."

Suddenly, it made sense. "You must be Wrex's inside source."

"Yes," Mordin confirmed. "Can explain later. Security warnings not normal. Need to get offworld for sake of Krogan." Mordin led them over to the containment cells where STG was keeping the female Krogan. "Females had weakened immune systems. Side effect of Maelon's cure." One cell held three bodies, each covered with a cloth. "These … didn't survive."

"I'm sure you did everything you could, Mordin."

"Arrived too late," Mordin lamented. "Cannot delay now. One survivor—immune to genophage. Can synthesize cure from her tissue."

"She still here?" Shepard asked as he followed Mordin.

"Yes. Last hope for Krogan. If she dies, genophage cure … problematic." Mordin led them down a flight of stairs to another containment cell. "Please be careful. Krogan slow to trust."

In the cell stood an immense creature. Not as large as Wrex, but much larger than any human. She was covered head to toe in what looked like some kind of ceremonial garment. Only her eyes were visible. Large restraints held her in place.

"I'm Commander Shepard, Alliance Navy." He hoped that his reputation would precede him, and put her at ease.

Her response was anything but 'at ease.' "Are you here to kill me?" her voice was soft, feminine—incongruent with the figure standing before him. She sounded weak, tired.

"Kill you?" Miranda's shocked response mirrored Shepard's own. "What have these worms done to you that you would even ask such a thing?"

"Urdnot Wrex and I are here to take you home," Shepard assured.

"Why? What am I to you?"

"You're the future of the Krogan race. I'm fighting for that." Claxons sounded as soon as Shepard stopped speaking, causing him to look up.

"Then I hope you brought an army."

It seemed that her words were prophetic, as the base was now under attack by Cerberus. As soon as they went to the elevator to meet Mordin on the landing pad, a bomb went off, and only Shepard's quick throwing up of a barrier prevented more damage. Taking the stairs, they soon found themselves embroiled in a nasty fight with Cerberus troops. Someone had to have tipped them off, and Shepard was sure he knew whom.

The fighting was intense, with Shepard manually having to clear the Female Krogan's containment pod, with Mordin inside, past each security checkpoint, until they were finally at the roof. Shepard and his squad fought through several waves of Cerberus troops, and then an Atlas mech was dropped in when those fell.

The mech was a tough opponent, but Shepard hit it with a massive shockwave, and then leapt in to the air, his omni-tool blade brandished. He used his biotics to charge while in midair, driving the blade through the mech's canopy, impaling the operator through his head, killing him instantly. With that, he landed, and went to the containment pod. Wrex landed the shuttle, and went to the female Krogan, pushing Mordin out of the way. She seemed unimpressed, grabbed his shotgun, and shot one of the still alive Cerberus troopers. She then unceremoniously pushed the gun into Wrex's gut, eliciting an 'oof' before boarding the shuttle. Miranda giggled, and Garrus openly laughed. Even Wrex cracked a smile.

"Someone tipped Cerberus off," Shepard noted. "I'll find out who."

Miranda nodded, and the two of them boarded the shuttle.


	8. Chapter 8

**The Cost of Power**

With Mordin back aboard the Normandy, working to synthesize a cure for the genophage, Shepard got back to the business of stopping the Reapers, and simultaneously fighting Cerberus. Fighting of Cerberus began by raiding a Cerberus lab where they were studying Reaper tech, and continued on Noveria, Shepard, Miranda and Edi took out a Cerberus fighter base. Next, they stopped Cerberus on Benning, where they were kidnapping civilians. Shepard found the body Bilal Osoba, the son of one of the human ambassadors. Their next mission against Cerberus was halting their efforts at Grissom Academy, where the xenophobic organization was trying to kidnap biotic and tech savvy students.

In all instances, Shepard's biotic displays were becoming more and more intense, and more and more powerful. This was a boon, but it was also a problem, as it was leaving him more and more drained as his power continued to grow. The worst to date was the fight at Grissom Academy. Shepard's biotics were as powerful as Jack's were—something that amazed the tattooed instructor.

As they rode back to the Normandy on the shuttle with Jack, Kahlee Sanders, and the students, the mood was celebratory. They had almost lost Rodriquez, but managed to save her at the last minute, and get out past the Cerberus cruisers. Sanders could hardly believe it.

"Joker," Shepard said, "we flew out on a Cerberus shuttle. Watch your fire."

" _Right, I've got you on sensors_ ," Joker replied. " _It'll just be a minute_."

"Thank you, Commander," Kahlee said. "We'd have never gotten off that station if you hadn't come."

"Fu—forget that," Jack interjected. "We kicked some ass!" She looked at her students. "Next place we dock, you're all getting inked—my treat. What do you guys want? Ascension project logo? Glowing fist? Maybe a unicorn for Rodriquez?"

"Screw you, Ma'am," Rodriguez half said/half laughed.

"I can't believe we got them out alive," Kahlee noted. "I was going to suggest they stick to support roles, but perhaps their ready after all."

Jack shot a concerned look at Shepard, looking for him to say something. Shepard did not miss the signal.

"They're definitely ready," he acknowledged. "But the Alliance needs them in a support role."

"What?" Prangly was aghast at this. "We trained for artillery strikes."

"We don't need another artillery unit." Shepard did not want to see them get killed, and neither did Jack. He could not let them get it in their heads to do something headstrong. "We need stronger barriers for our frontline squads."

"This is bullshit," Rodriguez exclaimed, but Jack shut them down.

"Hey, if that's where they need us, that's where we go." Visibly relieved, she added, "Besides, I'm sure we'll get some shots in."

" _Commander_ ," Joker said over the coms, " _We've got a visual on you now. Preparing to dock_."

As Joker bantered with Jack about her newfound clean language, only Miranda noticed that Shepard had sat, and had gone pale.

"John, are you alright?"

He nodded. "Just … drained. Need to rest."

Miranda nodded, taking his hand and holding it tightly. This was getting worse, and Shepard needed help before it debilitated him. Perhaps Jack could help, being the most powerful human biotic on record. She wished that Samara were with them. The Asari Justicar was more powerful than either Jack or Miranda, and as an Asari, was naturally biotic like Shepard. They sorely needed Samara's wisdom, but neither Miranda nor John had any idea where she was.

 **N7**

As Shepard rested in his cabin, Miranda met with Jack, who along with Sanders and the students, were being taken to the Citadel aboard the Normandy. The two met in the bowels of engineering, where Jack had bunked during the Collector mission. Jack stood tall and confident, wearing a variation on the Alliance uniform, and with hair on the top of her head, grown long and pulled back into a ponytail. The sides of her head were still shaved, showing off the tattoos on her scalp. Though Miranda thought Jack still looked like she belonged in a street gang, her new look was a far cry from her nearly naked and bald look during the Collector mission. Jack stood in front of one of the risers as Miranda stood in the center of the floor, the two looking at each other in awkward silence. Finally, Jack broke the tension.

"Alright, Cheerleader, you wanted to meet with me. What's this about?"

Miranda ignored the dig, and got right to the point. "It's about Shepard. His biotics are …"

"Powerful," Jack finished. "He kicks ass!"

"Yes, he does," Miranda agreed, already frustrated. "But there's a cost. He has no implants or amplifier. After he uses his biotics for any length of time, he's drained. I'm one of the few L4s, and you're the only L5 that I know of. Please! He needs help, and I honestly don't know where to go from here. I've done the research; there's no reason for him to experience this kind of drain, but try as I might, I cannot figure it out. No other human has natural biotics like his. You had a higher level of power prior to your implants. I thought maybe …"

Jack began laughing hysterically. "Oh, Cheerleader, this is rich! You—little Miss Smarty-pants, coming to little old me for help! If it wasn't for Shepard, I'd tell you to go fuck yourself, but Shepard's the only family I've got in this world. For him, I'll help."

Shepard was not really family of Shepard's, something Miranda was thankful for, but he was the first person Jack had encountered who had not tried to use her or take advantage of her in any way. Shepard had kept his promises to Jack, and had gotten Anderson to grease the wheels in getting Jack into the Alliance. She hated, or at least strongly disliked Miranda, but the former Cerberus officer could live with that. So long as Jack helped Shepard, that was all that mattered.

"Thank you, Jack. It means more to me than you'll ever know. I owe …"

"No, you don't," Jack spat. "I'm not doing this for you. You're just the messenger. Now, I ain't got much time; once Joker drops us off at the Citadel, I'm outta here. So—Shepard and me for the next few hours. I'll work to see what I can figure out, and I want you as far away as you can be. What was it Shepard said after he stopped me from killing you? Two decks apart at all times. That means you keep your bubble butt down up in Shepard's cabin while we get to the bottom of it down here. Understand?"

Miranda stiffened at this, but she swallowed her rising anger and nodded. "Of course, Jack. I'll send him down straight away."

"Good girl. I see the commander's got you trained right nice. All you need is a leash for that little black choker you wear around your neck."

Miranda was already on her way up the stairs, resisting the urge to smear the walls with Jack's brains. L-5 or no, Miranda would have killed her for that had it not been for Shepard.

 **N7**

Shepard found himself back in Jack's hidey-hole below Engineering, as Kelly used to call it. He performed a few biotic powers, and Jack watched closely, taking mental notes. Finally, she had him put up a barrier, and then threw her most powerful shockwave at him. The shockwave broke upon the barrier, dissipating harmlessly, but the effort left him drained. At last, she had the answer.

"Alright, I ain't no doctor, and I ain't no Asari matriarch, so I'm gonna give it to you straight: you've got no implants to amplify your power—somehow, your body is doing that on its own. Problem is, you're using a huge amount of energy instead of amplifying a small amount. It's gotta come from somewhere, and that somewhere is you."

"What do you mean, Jack?"

"What I mean is, I think your body is cannibalizing itself when you use your powers in rapid succession. You're actually draining your own life force to power your biotics, and when you don't have time to rest and recover, it drains you. If you keep it up for too long, it will kill you."

"Great," he groused sarcastically. "All I need is a light on my chest that starts blinking when I'm running low."

"No, you need an Asari, and someone other than Liara."

"Why not Liara?"

"Because she's nowhere near as powerful as you," Jack explained. "I only know one woman who can really help you: Samara. She's more powerful than Miranda; a lot more powerful. She can help you regulate your power."

"Thanks, Jack."

Jack shook his hand, and then hugged him. "Anytime, Shepard."

"Oh, and speaking of Miranda, she told me what you'd said. I know you two don't get along, and I understand why, but cut her some slack: she's not the woman she was when you first met."

Jack sighed. "Yeah, I was a bit over the top … and she did help with my students. Old habits are hard to break, though, and I'm still sorting through my baggage."

"Yeah, I get that. Regardless, it's good to see you again, Jack."

"You too, Shepard."

 **N7**

"Bottom line is, I could kill myself using my powers at full for an extended period of time," Shepard lamented. "That's the long and the short of it."

Shepard sat with Miranda and Liara in Liara's cabin, Liara on the bed, and Shepard and Miranda in the loveseat.

"I could have figured that out," Liara noted. "Why didn't you ask me, Miranda?"

Miranda sighed. "I thought I'd make use of Jack while she was still aboard the Normandy. Believe me, I wish I had asked you instead."

"I understand," Liara said with a nod. "I concur with Jack, however: Samara would be the perfect person to train you. She knows you as well as I do; the two of you embraced eternity, after all."

"I'm sorry," Miranda said. "Embracing eternity … just how … intimate is that?"

"Miranda, you don't have to worry …" Shepard began, but Liara smiled and interjected.

"It need not be romantic—Samara did not make him her bondmate, and neither did I—nor did Shiala on Feros. As to just how intimate it is, stand."

Miranda nodded, and stood hesitantly, Liara both standing with her, and the Asari placed her hands on Miranda's shoulders. "Now, Miranda, look into my eyes. Relax your defenses, and share yourself with me." With that, Liara's eyes turned black, and she exclaimed, "Embrace Eternity!"

A thousand images flooded Miranda's mind, and at first, it was overwhelming. Soon, however, the images became clearer, and a peace came over her. She found herself standing amid the stars, floating in space, Liara standing with her.

"This is embracing eternity," the Asari said, smiling. "Each is encountering the other's true self. You are truly beautiful, Miranda."

"This … this is amazing! I … I almost don't want to go back!"

"Neither do I, but we must."

With that, Miranda opened her eyes with a start, Liara having broken the connection. Miranda breathed hard for a few seconds.

"That is what it means to 'Embrace Eternity.' It is something the Asari normally reserve for close friends, family, and lovers. I daresay we know each other better now than ever we did before, Miranda. I am honored that you joined with me, and I apologize if it was at all jarring."

"No, Liara," Miranda assured. "It was wonderful."

Liara smiled. "I'm glad. Now, I have another matter. Asari high command has asked if I could pass a matter along to Shepard. It seems that a monastery housing the Ardat-Yakshi has gone dark. Asari commandos have gone in, but they never reported back."

"Worst case," Shepard said. "I've got a war going on. Just how bad is this?"

"Well, they wouldn't have passed it along if it was not very bad. It could also go a long way toward securing the Asari for the alliance you're trying to build."

"Alright," Shepard agreed. "Until Mordin develops the genophage cure, I have no target. Tell them we'll divert immediately."

"Thank you, Shepard."

 **N7**

Mordin looked at Miranda with surprise. "I have to say, I'm intrigued. Mild neoplasm … seems it's something human doctors should be able to solve. I believe I can come up with a cure, however—need something to do in my downtime. I've got the blood and tissue samples. I should be able to synthesize a cure. See me in two days, and I'll have something for you."

"Two days?"

"Yes—this sort of thing does take time, you know."

"I'm sorry, Mordin; I was shocked at how little time you need!"

"Understandable," he boasted. "I am the very model of a scientist Salarian, after all."

"Two days," Miranda mused. "After years of searching out a cure … please; keep this between us. I don't want anyone to know until we have the answer."

"Of course. Doctor-patient confidentiality prevents me from sharing, even with Shepard, unless you authorize it."

"Good … and thank you, Mordin. This means a lot to me." She left with a smile, feeling optimistic for the first time in months.


	9. Chapter 9

**The Justicar**

The shuttle landed at the Monastery on Lesuss in the Mesana System of the Nimbus Cluster. LIara informed Shepard that due to the monastery housing Ardat Yakshi, the commandos that Asari High Command had sent would have been under orders to destroy the monastery with heavy explosives if necessary, killing all inside. Shepard thought that extreme, but kept the option open should things really be that bad: Morinth had taught him the danger of Ardat Yakshi.

 **N7**

To Shepard's surprise, there was another shuttle on the landing pad, its engines still warm. For this mission, Shepard took Liara and Miranda. They found that somebody had disabled the doors and elevator leading in, and they could hear inhuman howling at odd intervals, leading them to question whether the occupants were trying to contain something within.

Once inside, they found the place wrecked. They soon found Asari commandos, some of them at least, and all dead.

"This was the comandos' captain," Liara observed as they examined one of the bodies. "It seems they gave their lives fighting the Reapers."

Shepard shook his head. The captain had barely made it past the front door. They had faced heavy fighting right away, but the place was still and apart from the occasional howl in the distance, silent. "This place is out of the way. What do the Reapers want with Ardat Yakshi?" Then he looked at Miranda. "Anything useful?"

"A map, showing the navpoint location of a bomb. It seems they've rigged the Great Hall with explosives."

"So, the commandos started the purge after all," Liara noted.

That changed things. "This captain and these others with her—they weren't killed by heavy fighting on the way in; they were trying to escape, and were killed when they were almost out."

"Tragic," Liara lamented.

"Ardat Yakshi or not," Shepard said, "evacuating this place would have saved a lot of lives. If there's no survivors, let's get to the great hall and set off that bomb."

 **N7**

They pressed on, still hearing the howls of … whatever it was. They encountered no live Asari, Artat Yakshi or otherwise. As they entered the upper tier to a great courtyard, a Cannibal was hurled against a wall nearby, landing dead. Reapers were definitely here, but who killed this one?

"Very good. I almost didn't hear you." It was Samara.

Miranda could hardly believe their luck.

"Samara," Shepard said as he holstered his rifle.

"It has been some time, Shepard. You are a most welcome sight." Samara looked around. "The corruption here runs deep."

Liara folded her arms. "I assume you're here on your own, Justicar. Perhaps for something special?"

"You are correct," Samara confirmed. "Two of my daughters live here, and I have come for them. Unfortunately, the Reapers had already invested this place by the time I arrived."

"Let's go together," Shepard offered. "Maybe your daughters can tell us why the Reapers hit this place."

Samara turned to walk away. "I suspect they will have much to tell us. It has been centuries since I last saw them." An inhuman howl, more of a shriek, sounded, catching Samara's attention. This time, it was closer. "We're out of time!" Samara's biotics flared as she walked away, and she glowed with bright blue energy. "We'll meet again. I will draw these creatures off."

"Wait," Shepard called, but Samara was gone. He looked at Miranda and Liara. "Let's go."

 **N7**

It was not long before Shepard, Miranda, and Liara encountered the source of the inhuman shrieks. Along with a battalion of Cannibals, they encountered a mutated Asari. The creature was nude, and the Reapers' warping of her had stretched her out, her flesh pulled tightly against her skeleton, and her face frozen is a skull like grin. Its shrieks sent out waves of energy that drained shields, and drained life force. Whatever the Reapers had done to her had provided her with powerful armor, in addition to biotic shielding.

"That used to be a person, an Asari," Liara gasped. "What have the Reapers done?"

After an intense fight, they killed the Cannibals and the mutated Asari. For the first time, Liara felt what Shepard and Miranda had felt upon encountering human husks. As soon as they went through the door leading deeper into the monastery, they saw an unmolested Asari running from a Cannibal.

Shepard moved to engage, but Samara dropped in, interposing herself between the woman and the creature. With a powerful biotic blast, Samara destroyed the Cannibal.

"Mother," the woman gasped. "You came!"

"As soon as I was able," Samara replied. Then she turned to Shepard and he and the others joined them. "Shepard, this is Falere, my youngest. She and her sister Rila are Ardat-Yakshi. They—"

"Mother," Falere interjected. "They have Rila!"

"What?" Samara took hold of Falere, genuinely worried now. It was the first time Shepard had ever seen the Justicar's cool confidence shaken.

"I saw some of those creatures take her into the Great Hall. I've been trying to get there."

"What are the Reapers doing here?" Shepard asked.

"Harvesting us," Falere explained, walking over to a dead Banshee. "Turning us into … those monsters." Then she turned to Shepard, and implored, "Please, you can't let that happen to Rila!"

"Then we have to find Rila fast," Shepard declared. "The Great Hall has a bomb in it. It's rigged to explode, and bring the whole place down."

"A bomb?" Falere was aghast. "But didn't you come to rescue people?"

"Yes," Shepard said. "We'll evacuate survivors, but look around: this place is infested with Reapers, more than we'll have time or ammunition to kill. We need to stop them, Falere, and that is the only way. So far, you're the only survivor we've found. It's likely that you and Rila are the only ones left. We'll sweep for survivors as we make our way. Don't worry: nobody gets left behind."

"But you can't destroy the monastery," Falere objected. "Where will we go?"

"Falere," Samara said, trying to calm her daughter.

"I'm sorry." With that, Falere, ran off, diving from the catwalk to a lower level.

"Falare," Samara cried, but Falere was already moving. "The Great Hall," Samara exclaimed. "She's looking for Rila!" Samara then jumped, following Falere.

"We'll meet you there," Shepard said.

Samara turned back briefly. "Please be swift." She then disappeared into the lower levels of the building.

 **N7**

They pressed on, encountering more Reaper forces, and more of these … banshee creatures. The fighting intensified. They found no living Asari, but plenty of Reaper troops. The place was crawling with them, and it seemed that the entire population of the monastery had been turned into Banshees. This was not good.

They found more commandos further in, killed in a firefight. It looked as though they were shooting wildly in all directions.

"To panic an Asari commando unit," Miranda observed. "This must have been bad."

LIara seemed to object to the notion that an Asari commando could be panicked, but Shepard ignored it. They could discuss the fortitude of Asari commandoes when they were done here.

They continued, room by room, sweeping for survivors, just as Shepard had promised Falere he would, but they found no Asari, Ardat-Yakshi or otherwise. Only Reaper forces. There were no survivors: only mutated Asari, now living as Banshee, slaves to the Reapers.

They eventually located the Great Hall, where they found Samara standing near Falere. Falere knelt on the floor, holding an unconscious Asari, saying, "Rila, can you hear me?" Explosives were set all over the hall, targeting the support pillars. Once those were taken out, the entire monastery would crumble.

Surprisingly, Rila awoke, but instead of greeting her sister, she grabbed Falere by the throat. Falere pushed Rila off, causing her to fall back to the floor unconscious. It was too late for Rila. Shepard began examining the explosives.

"Why did she do that?" Falere cried.

"Because they've begun to turn her into one of the Reapers' creatures," Samara said, trying to comfort her daughter, as she looked on helplessly at Rila.

"I'm sorry," Shepard said, standing to join them. "We swept the monastery, Falere. You're all that's left. Reaper forces are everywhere." He turned to the bombs. "Can we set these off? It's the only way we can deal with the Reaper forces."

"We need to locate the detonator," Miranda replied.

"Commandos would have had one," Shepard noted as he went one of the bombs. "We've got to find it." A banshee's howl interrupted him. As four of them, plus dozens of husks poured into the room, Shepard brandished his rifle and said, "Later."

Banshees were tough, but as more poured into the hall, tough became damn near impossible. Dealing with husks and banshees simultaneously was challenging enough, but the banshees outnumbered you, and the husks seemed endless, it was a monumental task. First Liara fell, then Miranda and Falere. Only Samara and Shepard remained to fight them.

Shepard had held off on using biotics because he did not want to be drained at a crucial moment. It seemed that that crucial moment had arrived. He brought up a powerful barrier, which he caused to expand outward and explode. He followed this up with multiple shockwaves. Samara, for her part, handled the Banshees with relative ease, her biotics being the most powerful Shepard had ever encountered.

Finally, the last banshee fell, and he and Samara revived Miranda, Liara, and Falere.

"That's hardly the end of them, Shepard," Samara warned.

"I know. We need to blow this place and get out of here."

That was when Rila awoke. This time, she broke free of the Reapers' control. "Falere, go! Take the elevator!"

Falere took Rila's hands. "Rila—but what are you doing?"

"It's too late for me," Rila lamented. "There are hundreds coming! Just go!"

Shepard's eyes widened as Rila produced the detonator. He grabbed Falere, shouting, "Move!"

Falere, shouted, "No!" It did not matter. Rila's path was clear, and they had to evacuate the great hall.

"Rila!"

Rila simply said, "I love you."

That was the last that Samara and Falere would see of Rila. Falere kept calling out to her sister, resisting Shepard's pulling her as much as she could, but it was in vain. Shepard was too strong for her. As soon as they were in the elevator, Shepard selected the top floor. Before the doors closed, he saw more banshees pouring into the room. As soon as the doors closed, the car started moving. Falere was frantic … until the explosion shook the car. Then she collapsed, sobbing for her dead sister.

 **N7**

They walked out onto the landing pad by the shuttles, Falere walking ahead of them, her body rigid with anger. Samara paused, looking at her last remaining daughter, a deep sadness in her eyes. Shepard was about to say something to her, but Samara walked to Falere.

"Rila," Falere lamented. "There wasn't even time to say goodbye."

Samara stopped two meters from Falere, as though an invisible barrier prevented her from getting any closer. "Few can break the Reapers' hold. Rila's will was extraordinary, as was her love for you."

Falere turned on her mother. "We left her to die!"

Samara stood silently. Then she walked to the rail, looking out into the distance. "Rila made her choice … and it has reminded me of what is truly important … why I swore I'd lay down my life."

Falere was confused. "What is that?"

Samara then turned to face her daughter. "Falere, the code demands an Ardat Yakshi cannot live outside a monastery that no longer exists." She drew her pistol, and Shepard thought she was going to shoot Falere.

"What are you doing?" He began to move so as to interpose himself, but she lowered the pistol.

"I'm sorry, Shepard … by the Justicar's code, there is only one way to save Falere." Samara then put the gun to her own head.

"Mother, no!" Falere began sobbing.

"My daughters … you were all so much stronger …" Samara never finished the sentence, as Shepard swiftly got a hold of her weapon arm, and locked it behind her, pointing the pistol at the floor. "Let … go," she hissed.

"What are you doing?"

"Fulfilling the code!"

"By throwing your life away?"

Samara turned to face him as much as she could. "I won't kill my last daughter!"

"Nor would I let you," he assured her. "I always say nobody gets left behind. That includes you, and Falere. I wish I could have saved Rila as well, but it was too late. I won't lose you too."

"But the Code …"

"We can put Falere in stasis until this is all over, and a new monastery can be built," Shepard explained. "Or perhaps, as her will seems strong enough, she can stay with us aboard the Normandy—you and she can take up in your old cabin. She'd be confined there until we could find her a new place to live, but …"

"Given the alternative," Falere said, "I would be willing to submit to your custody, Commander."

"Then," Samara began falteringly, "the code permits you to come."

Shepard released Samara, glad that it was finally over. Eventually, he would need to talk to her about his biotics issue, but for now, he was pleased to have helped save Falere. He only wished that Rila and the other Ardat-Yakshi could have been saved as well.


	10. Chapter 10

**Shepard's Power Unlocked**

With Mordin's work proceeding apace, Shepard had precious little time to train. Between dealing with the Rachni Relay for Wrex, a mission that reunited him with Grunt, and secured the aid of the Rachni against the Reapers, and the various side missions that he ended up having to deal with as a result of the war, he wondered if he would have enough time to learn anything meaningful from Samara.

For her part, Samara was grateful for his aid at the monastery, and had agreed to help him as much as she could in the time they had. Shepard had command of his biotics—using them was not the problem. It was the powerful displays that drained him, even if he could make such displays with precision. Samara selected the one place where they could train without interruption: Shepard's cabin. The Justicar welcomed Miranda's presence, unlike Jack, who wanted Miranda as far away as possible. Miranda was thankful, but declined, having to see to the ship while John was busy training.

So it was that John Shepard and Samara sat across from each other on the floor of his cabin, their feet folded beneath them in Indian style.

"I want you to close your eyes, and breathe, Shepard," Samara began.

"I'm always breathing," he replied.

"Not correctly. Inhale deeply, from your diaphragm, and through your nose, then hold it." John did as she asked, and then Samara said, "Now, exhale through your mouth."

He again, did as she asked. "Okay."

"Deep breathing is important, Shepard. Too often, the untrained breath with their chest, not from their center. Now, breathe with me."

For the next ten minutes, the two sat on the floor, breathing. Shepard was not sure what this would accomplish, but he did not ask Samara to train him, only to second guess her. By this point, he was very relaxed.

"Now, clear your mind of any distractions, and focus on my voice," she instructed. "Feel the energy around you. It is in the ship, in the air you breathe. It is inescapable, yet few can actually perceive it."

He could actually feel the energy, now that he was relaxed, and Samara had made him aware of it. Shepard focused on the sound of his breathing, and the sound of Samara's breathing. Soon, he could sense Samara with more than just his physical senses. After a little while, he could sense his shipmates, including Edi. Each one had a unique energy signature.

"Energy is all around, you, Shepard," Samara explained. "Now, find the point where your energy ends, and the energy of the air around you begins."

This was harder. He could sense his own energy, but soon, he found the border between the two. His own energy extended out further from himself than he would have imagined, but not so far as to reach Samara. "I can sense it."

"Good. Now, you must make your own borders porous, allowing the energy around you to permeate your being. This may sound trite, but you must become one with all that is around you."

"But if I do that, what will separate me from everything else?"

"That is your ego talking," she scolded. "Nothing truly separates from everything else. That is the lesson that few ever learn, and one that the Reapers can never learn. The Reapers devour, forcing that which is around them to assimilate to their patterns. This is unnatural, and why each Reaper is itself a mass of tortured souls. Do not bend the universe to your will, as the Reapers attempt, but become one with the universe, working in harmony with it. Then its energy will be yours."

Shepard understood the wisdom of her words. It made sense. Scientifically, everything was energy. Nevertheless, what she asked of him went against human nature—against the ego. He wondered briefly if the Illusive Man was like the Reapers in this regard.

 _Yes, he is._

"Samara?"

 _Feel my presence, Shepard. We are one with each other, as we are with everyone else. Allow yourself to be one with me, and words will no longer be necessary._ He tried hard to concentrate, but Samara's voice in his head said, _Do not force it. You must relax, and let it simply happen_. He relaxed as she instructed, and soon, he could feel her presence. Not merely sense her being, but actually feel her presence, as though they were touching one another.

 _Samara …_

 _Good, Shepard. Now, I can teach you_.

 **N7**

Samara returned to the starboard observation lounge, where she would remain with Falere until a more permanent solution presented itself. In the meantime, Shepard had learned how to harness the power around him, and how to regulate the power within him. It had been a humbling experience, but a very enlightening one. The lesson had come none too soon, as Mordin had informed him that the cure was ready. Now, the Normandy was on its way to Tuchanka, there to deal with a Turian mission gone awry, investigate a Cerberus presence, and ultimately, to cure the genophage. Samara would not join them: she was obliged to remain at her daughter's side.

Miranda and Garrus, however, would be with him, just as they were against the Collectors. Vega, Liara, and Edi would all play a part as well. This was finally it. Once they arrived at Tuchanka, the Krogan-Turian alliance would hopefully be sealed, and Earth could finally get the aid it so desperately needed.

Shepard had called Miranda to his cabin, for what was likely to be the last quiet evening they would be able to enjoy until the Tuchanka mission was completed. They had finished dinner, and were now seated together on the love seat, each turned to face the other.

"So … was Samara able to help you?"

Shepard nodded. "I finally understand the embracing eternity. I don't think I can do it as Liara does, not yet at least, but I think you and I join—we're both biotic, and you and I are very close, so it would be a two-person effort, but we could do it … I think."

Miranda smiled at this. She had always been slightly jealous of Liara; joining with Shepard had been the one thing Liara had done with him that Miranda never could. She smiled, and looked deeply into his eyes, as Liara did when she joined with another.

"I would love to try, John."

"Alright, then. Here goes."

They held each other's gaze, reaching out with their biotic power, each brushing against the other's energy borders. Slowly, Shepard's barriers opened, and Miranda was able to blend with him.

It was a joining more intimate than mere intercourse, though Miranda was dying to have that with John, preferably while joined, now that she had experienced it with him. Miranda had experienced her fiancé on the most emotionally intimate level, and understood him a good deal more than she had. She realized that this was a two way street, and that he would understand her more deeply than before as well.

"I like this, John."

"I'm glad you do. I don't think I could do this with anyone else."

"What about an Asari?"

He pondered this for a moment before replying. "I don't think I could initiate it. But with you … it's like everything else; you make it possible."

Miranda moved close to him, enjoying the sensation as he enfolded her in his arms. "Let's just be together … no words, no joining—just you and me, in the silence. Moments like this are few and far between now. I want to enjoy it while we can."

He answered her with a kiss, and held her without saying another word.

 **N7**

At first, things seemed to be going well. Shepard, Miranda and Garrus had stopped Cerberus' attempt to take control of an old Krogan canon, and they had resolved the issue of the downed Turian ship that Primarch Victus had asked him to investigate. It was this second mission that proved to be a potential dealbreaker.

Wrex and Primarch VIctus stood facing each other, with Wrex shouting at the Primarch, accusing him of cowardice, deception, and anything else he could think of. Shepard's mission to investigate the downed Turian ship led to another revelation: Primarch Victus' son, Tarquin, was leading a squad to seek out and diffuse an old Turian bomb, planted on Tuchanka during the Krogan Rebellions. Cerberus had unearthed it, and planned to set it off in order to derail the Krogan/Turian alliance that Shepard was desperately trying to preserve. Tarquin lost his life diffusing the bomb, which was near a major population center in the Kelphic Valley. Had Cerberus detonated it, hundreds of thousands would have died.

The mission revealed something else too: Shepard's training at the hands of Jack and Samara had paid off. He was able to use more biotic power for longer without feeling drained, and the more he practiced Samara's methods, the easier it got. He would have to thank her later, but right now, he needed to deal with Wrex and Victus.

"The genophage wasn't enough?" Wrex's voice was quiet at first. But it did not remain so. "You had to plant a bomb on my planet?"

"The decision was made hundreds of years ago. So much has changed!" Victus implored, but Wrex was unmoved.

"Not enough for you to tell us about the bomb, coward!"

"Hey!" Shepard could not allow this to continue. "We can't let the past rip us apart. Working together, we have a chance." He walked over and stood between them. "Primarch, you had a bomb on Tuchanka. Wrex, in the Primarch's place, you would have done the same damn thing!"

"Shepard," Wrex began, but Shepard held up a hand, halting the conversation.

"It's over! His own son died today making this right!"

"Please, Commander," Victus implored. "It's alright."

"Yes, find," Wrex conceded tersely. "Shepard, you've made your point. We have stronger enemies to face."

Shepard leaned against the table/projector in the war room, relieved that it was resolve the time being. "We do."

Victus approached, and Wrex made a grunting sound and walked away. "I understand your reservations before, Commander," Victus offered. "But I hope you now understand the secrecy."

"I hate secrets and politicians, Primarch," Shepard said bluntly. "Your son had to die to fix this."

"Yes," Victus conceded. "You're right, Commander. It was a mistake not to trust you. I know that now." Victus turned, and slowly ascended the steps to the war room's outer ring, and then turned back. "My son … he died with the respect of his men. I wanted to thank you for that." His voice was low, gravelly, and thick with emotion. "His sacrifice will be recorded in the histories of the Ninth Platoon. Something any father would be proud of."

"Yes, sir," Shepard replied. There was nothing more he could say. He only wished that he could have saved the Primarch's son.


	11. Chapter 11

**Cures, Treachery, and Unity**

With the bomb and the cannon dealt with, it was time to do what they had come to do: cure the genophage. The whole mood of the ship had changed: Wrex was excited, and was even being friendly with Victus. Only the female Krogan seemed nervous—both her, and Miranda. Both of them sat in the med-bay waiting on Mordin, who was talking to himself as he worked on one last detail of something—neither woman knew what.

"Yes, yes,"Mordin said at last. "Genophage cure ready. Maelon's research invaluable—glad Shepard convinced me to keep it. Cure synthesized, and ready for dispersal. Eve's condition stabilized." Then he turned to Miranda. "Will be on Tuchanka; mission dangerous—need to do this before I go, just in case. Miranda, please lay on the table over here …" he directed her to one of the operating tables. "I have a solution to your issue as well"

She could hardly believe it. All this time spent trying to find a cure, and Mordin had done it in a matter of days, and in his spare time while working out a cure for the genophage. She did as he asked, and he pulled a curtain across to allow her some privacy.

"Please change into this gown, Miranda. Signal me when you're ready—this won't take long."

Mordin left the cubicle created by the curtain, and Miranda changed into the hospital gown provided. At long last, a cure.

 **N7**

The chime sounded at Shepard's door, prompting him to call, "Enter." To his surprise, Edi walked in.

"Edi, this is unexpected. I would have thought you'd simply use a holographic avatar and electronic communications—not that I'm complaining. You're a friend, and you're always welcome.

"Thank you Shepard. That is why I chose to come in person. Also, I have information for you. Traynor and I have been looking into the Cerberus tip-off on Sur'Kesh, and we have located the source. Shepard, it was the Dalatrass."

"Hardly shocking."

"Agreed. She used a personal communication device, something short range, but …"

"But in close range to the Salarian ship, and to the com buoy, she only needed short range."

"Yes, Shepard."

"I'll see to it that she's held responsible for the lives lost on that operation. As a Spectre, I can see to it permanently."

"I thought you might say that, though I believe that informing the right people of her collaboration with Cerberus would achieve the same goals, and would do so through Council channels. It would look better for you, and would not waste your time on such a trivial matter."

"Agreed. Thanks, Edi."

 **N7**

Shepard assembled everyone in the war room. Only Miranda was absent. It surprised Shepard, but she had begged off this mission, citing a "minor health issue" about which she would confer with Doctor Chakwas. Apart from that cryptic description, she would give no details. Without Miranda, and knowing that the Justicar's time aboard the Normandy was finite, Shepard opted to bring Samara and Garrus. The Justicar was eager to accompany him, as she wanted to be of aid to Shepard in the field, should his use of biotics drain him more than anticipated.

Mordin had determined a means of disseminating the cure to the entire Krogan population: The Shroud—a Salarian atmospheric purification facility that the Turians had used to spread the genophage centuries ago. However, a Reaper was now guarding the Shroud, both poisoning the atmosphere and preventing Shepard and his team from landing near the Shroud.

"New form of Reaper, Shepard," Mordin informed. "Using Shroud to poison Tuchanka's atmosphere. Problematic."

Wrex pounded the table. "If they want a fight, they just got one!"

"Primarch," said Shepard. "We're going to need your help."

Victus looked down. "That could be difficult. Our losses on Palaven have been catastrophic."

"We're doing this for Palaven," Shepard reminded him. "No one said it would be easy."

The Primarch stepped closer to the table, examining the holographic images of the Reaper and the Shroud. "What do you have in mind?"

"A combined attack." Shepard activated the console, and images of Turian fighters and Krogan Tomkahs appeared. "You're people hit the Reaper with an airstrike. Wrex, at the same time, your soldiers will be attacking from the ground. Together, you can draw it away from the tower."

"Yes, distraction," observed Mordin. "Small team can reach Shroud facility, finish synthesizing cure—will need Eve to come with us."

Everyone looked at the image of the battlefield in silence for a moment.

"We've never faced a Reaper up close like this," Shepard finally said. "Everyone on board?"

Wrex answered first. "There's even a doubt?" Then he looked at Mordin and began moving. "Let's move, Pyjak. It's time to cure the genophage."

As the others filed out, Traynor's voice sounded over the intercom. "Commander, incoming message marked urgent. I'll in the comm room for you."

"Thanks, Traynor." He had a feeling that this was going to be problematic.

Shepard went to the QEC Vidcom terminal in the comm room, and activated it. He was unsurprised to see the image of the Salarian Dalatrass.

"Dalatrass," he said curtly.

"Commander Shepard, we know you've reached Tuchanka, and by now, Mordin Solus has proposed using the Shroud."

"Are you spying on us?" he was hardly surprised.

"Hardly. The Shroud is the only viable course of action open to you." Then she began to speak condescendingly. "Commander, you can't allow your misguided sympathy for the Krogan to cloud your judgment. Do you honestly believe that curing the genophage will end in lasting peace?"

"We have to give the Krogan that chance," he argued. "You can't condemn an entire race to extinction based on what might happen."

"What will happen is the Krogan will reproduce out of control. We uplifted them specifically for their violent nature, not their diplomatic skills. Another war is inevitable."

"Like the war many humans are demanding we wage once the Reapers are defeated? A war waged against all the races that sat on the sidelines while we bled. That's the result of the "diplomatic skills" of your cowardly councilor."

"Shepard, you know that …"

"I know that you didn't uplift the Krogan, not truly," he interjected. "You gave them technology they weren't ready for so that you could use them in your war against the Rachni. Krogan are better diplomats than you think. I've seen it firsthand. You should talk to the Female Krogan we rescued from your S.T.G. facility. I assure you, it would be enlightening—almost as enlightening as learning of your involvement with Cerberus. That was you that tipped them off, and we have audio logs of the conversation."

"It was necessary," Shepard. "Stopping this genophage cure is bigger than your little inter-human rivalries. If I had to make use of one of your human factions, so be it."

"Enough bullshit. What do you want, Dalatrass."

"Years ago, our operatives sabotaged the Shroud facility to ensure what you're planning couldn't be done." _Thanks for the info, bitch_ , he thought. "Mordin will likely detect this malfunction, and repair it. But if you ensure that he doesn't, the cure's viability will be altered just enough that it fails. No one will notice the change."

"You mean trick the Krogan."

"They need not be any the wiser," she said. "Let Urdnot Wrex believe you've fulfilled your promise."

"Unlike politicians, when I make promises, I keep them. Unlike the rest of your spineless race, Mordin would never stand for that—and neither will I. I keep my promises, Dalatrass, a skill you Salarians should learn."

"How you deal with Mordin is up to you, Commander. Think of humanity—we can provide you the very best scientists to build the Crucible … and the full support of our fleets."

Shepard shook his head. "You'll provide those things regardless," he declared. "Or are you willing to condemn yourselves to extinction all to get your way? We're building the Crucible without Salarians, in case you haven't noticed, and we're doing just fine. Sit this one out, Dalatrass—it's what Salarians are best at. Oh, by the way, those audio logs? Non-existent. Thanks for confessing." Linron's eyes went wide, even for a Salarian, which was saying something. The commander just smiled. "Shepard out."

 **N7**

As the shuttle made its way to Tuchanka's surface, Wrex briefed them on the situation with the clans and Krogan soldiers. "I've ordered the clans to assemble at the Hollows. It's our most sacred meeting ground. We'll land there, and take an armored convoy against the Reaper." Then he stood straight, looking into the distance. "This … will be the defining moment of Krogan history."

"Krogan history filled with defining moments," countered Mordin. "Most bloody. Hope this one better."

Wrex did not respond, but the female Krogan looked over at Shepard. "Commander, you seem troubled."

"I got a message from the …" An explosion rocked the shuttle, interrupting him. it seemed that the Reapers were already here.

" _Wrex, it's Wreave_ ," came a voice over the comm. " _The Reapers are already at the Hollows. Come out with guns blazing!_ "

"Hang on tight," Cortez instructed. "We're heading in."

 **N7**

Come out with guns blazing is exactly what they did. As soon as the shuttle landed, Wrex opened the door and blasted a husk.

"Shepard, keep them away from the female," Wrex shouted. "I'll sort out what's happening with the other clans!"

"Everyone pick your targets and keep an eye on your six," Shepard ordered. "Now move!"

Soon, the entire squad was on the ground, killing husks, and any other Reaper forces that came their way. Vega used the N7 Typhoon, laying down a withering field of fire, as Garrus picked them off with his Krysae sniper rifle. Shepard used his newly refined biotics to battle Reaper forces, focusing on doing as Samara directed. To his relief, it worked. He was able to maintain his biotics, and make use of powerful displays, without draining himself. When he needed to recharge, he switched to his guns, and Samara stepped up on the biotic front.

Finally, the last of the Reaper forces fell, clearing the Hollows. A jubilant Wrex strode in, bloodied, and most likely not with his own blood.

"They'll sing battle songs about this someday! Reaper blood has finally soaked our soil!"

Krogan began filling the Hollows, cheering and shouting with Wrex. Shepard ran to meet his old friend, glad to see the display of Krogan unity.

"We have to get to the Shroud," he informed Wrex. "The airstrike is on its way!"

"Female safe, Shepard," Mordin informed, walking over to join them. That was when Krogan unity began to fracture.

"What's a Salarian doing here?" It was a large Krogan, almost as big as Wrex, who marched over, flanked by seven of his clan brothers. "Nobody said anything about this!"

"Multiple Krogan," Mordin noted. "Problematic."

Shepard turned, and sarcastically asked, "Gee, you think?" Then he turned to Vega. "You wanted to go toe to toe with a Krogan. You might just get your chance." Vega's eyebrows raised, and his eyes widened at the sight of the approaching Krogan delegation. "Oh, you were just talking shit." Then he turned to the Krogan leading the delegation. "Who are you?"

"Urdnot Wreave, brood brother to our …" he paused as Wrex came to stand in his way, then added sarcastically, "… illustrious leader."

"Wreave and I share the same mother," Wrex confirmed. "And nothing else." Other Krogan grunted and growled. Clearly, there was division, division that was about to be settled, one way or another.

"For which I am thankful," Wreave replied. "I remember what it means to be a true Krogan!"

 _Oh, not this bullshit_ , Shepard thought. Other Krogan began grunting what Shepard thought sounded like 'harrumphs.'

"We flay our enemies alive, and drown them in a geyser of their own blood," Wreave continued. "We don't invite them into our home."

"The Salarian is not your enemy," Shepard declared. "He's here to help cure the genophage."

Wreave began marching menacingly toward Mordin. "His kind gave us the genophage! Why should we trust him?"

His march came to an end when Wrex interposed himself, and head-butted Wreave, who doubled over in pain, holding his head.

"Because I do," Wrex declared. "And so will you, Wreave."

Wreave recovered, and began growling, his Krogan delegation with him. It looked as if there would be a fight after all. But as Wreave and his drew their weapons, the female Krogan's voice cut through the din, causing all to freeze.

"Enough!" She stood confidently at the top of the stairs, like a Krogan goddess. All of the Krogan turned to face her, lowering their weapons, and standing deferentially. "You can stay here, and let old wounds fester as the Krogan have always done," she began as she marched down the stairs. The Krogan parted for her as she made her way toward Shepard. "Or you can fight the enemy you were born to destroy, and win a new future for our children!" she ascended the platform where Wrex, Wreave, and Shepard stood. "I choose to fight!" then she looked around. "Who will join me?"

Shepard moved to the front. "I will."

"And so will I," Wrex declared. He walked to the stairs and motioned to the door. "Now hold your heads high like true Krogan! There's a Reaper that needs killing!"

Wreave and his brothers nodded, and the Krogan unity was restored. It was time to go out and face the Reaper, and cure the genophage!


	12. Chapter 12

**Curing the Genophage!**

Shepard and his squad rode in one of the Tomkahs Wrex, Mordin, and the female Krogan. The Turian Wing Artamech prepared its assault on the Shroud, their vector locked. It was finally time for the Turian/Krogan alliance to be won, and to get the help Earth so desperately needed.

"Copy that, Artamech," Shepard said. "We're on our way, trying to make up lost time. Shepard out."

"Wreave isn't the only Krogan who wants revenge for the genophage, Wrex," the female said. "You'll have to placate them somehow."

"I'll demand the Council return some of our old territory," Wrex declared. "We'll need room to expand—recapture the glory of the ancients!"

Mordin then interjected. "Glory of ancients led to Krogan rebellions. Countless deaths. Creation of genophage. Expansion plan … problematic."

Now, Shepard was curious. "What were the ancient Krogan like?"

"Tuchanka wasn't always a wasteland," the female said. "In old times, the Krogan were a proud people. We had dreams—a future to look forward to."

"Until Salarian interference," Mordin lamented.

"No," she countered. "We destroyed Tuchanka ourselves. Technology changes us—made life too easy. So we looked for new challenges, and found them … in each other. Nuclear war was inevitable."

"And now our planet is rubble," Wrex added. "We'll need a better place to live."

"I'd say helping defeat the Reapers would be worth a new planet," Shepard noted.

"Or ten," Wrex added. "You haven't seen how fast we can pop them out."

"Wrex," the female scolded.

"What? With the genophage cured, we'll have a lot of catching up to do."

Then the female turned to Shepard. "Commander, on the shuttle … was there something you were going to say?"

"The Dalatrass tried to cut a secret deal with me," he explained.

"What kind of deal?" Wrex was immediately on edge.

"She said they sabotaged the Shroud years ago," Shepard explained. "The cure won't work unless we fix it. I've already sent the data to Mordin's omni-tool. Oh, she's also the one who tipped off Cerberus to the release of the Krogan females." Shepard then played the recording of the conversation. Tuchanka's leaders needed to see it.

When the recording stopped, Wrex exclaimed, "And she thought we wouldn't know better?"

"Correctly," Mordin confirmed. "Would likely have fooled tests, but familiar with STG work; can adjust. Did not come this far for nothing."

The female turned to Shepard. "You just spared our race another genocide, Commander."

"I told you we could count on him," Wrex said confidently. "Her head on a pike is another concession I plan to ask for after this is all over." Shepard laughed, but then the Tomkah began braking. Wrex stood. "Why are we stopping?"

Once the Tomkah stopped, they got out. It seemed that the bridge was out, another setback, courtesy of Reaper forces, stopping them right in front of what looked like an opening into an ancient structure. Shepard surmised that the Tomkahs could get through over the rubble—six-wheel drive had to count for something, and Tomkahs were large, with lots of ground clearance.

Turian Wing Artamech flew toward the Reaper overhead. Sheaprd tried to get them to break off, as the airstrike alone would not be enough, but the squadron leader replied that their vector was locked. Almost immediately, Artamech was engaged by Reaper air forces, and were being quickly overwhelmed.

"We have to get in that fight," Garrus said with desperation.

"Damn it," Shepard shouted as one of the Turian fighters was taken down. He went to the Krogan convoy leader, and said, "I don't care if we have to build a new road—we're going!"

"Shepard," Samara called, pointing to the dogfight in the sky. One Turian fighter had been hit, and was heading their way.

"Move" Shepard barely got to cover as the ship struck one of the Tomkahs, killing all inside. His comm chirped—it was Wrex."

" _Shepard, what's happening?_ "

"Wrex, get the female out of here now! Go!"

The Krogan convoy wasted no time making their own road, riding over the rubble, something Shepard thought they should have done in the first place.

"Artamech, do you copy?"

"We have to abort, Commander; that Reaper is tearing us to pieces!"

"Understood! Save your pilots. We'll find another way."

"Shepard, that tunnel," Samara called. "It could be a way through!"

"Get to it!" With that, Shepard made haste to the tunnel, hoping Samara's intuition would prove correct.

 **N7**

Shepard and his squad found themselves in the City of the Ancients. Evidence of an ancient and thriving Krogan culture remained, with complex artwork and poetic carvings. The sight gave Shepard hope for the Krogan future. In the City of the Ancients, they faced Reaper forces: Ravagers, Marauders, Cannibals, and the usual Husks. Shepard continued to hone his biotics under Samara's guidance, and found that he was getting better and better at the techniques she had shown him.

As they made their way through the maze Shepard was wondering if it would ever end, when the cramped passageways opened up into a large area, open to the sky. There they saw something that Shepard never expected to see on Tuchanka: green plant life. It was a beautiful sight, and offered hope for the planet. Perhaps Tuchanka still held a future for the Krogan people.

Soon, they rendezvoused with Wrex, and not a moment too soon: it seemed that Kalros, described by the Female Krogan as the Mother of all Thresher Maws, and key to defeating the Reaper at the Shroud, was on the loose, and actually took out Wreave's Tomkah as Shepard boarded Wrex's. _Good riddance_ , Shepard thought. An agitator like Wreave was the last thing the Krogan needed right now.

"He was a pain in the ass anyway," Wrex remarked. "Now let's finish this. There's a Reaper waiting for us."

 **N7**

They arrived, getting as close to the Shroud as they could, and exited the Tomkah. In the distance, they saw the Shroud rising into the sky, and the Reaper standing in front of it. The Shroud spewed a noxious green/gray mist into the atmosphere.

"A worthy foe," Samara observed. "Now, we must figure out how to vanquish it."

"I know we've beaten the odds before," Garrus said, "but getting to that tower … I don't know."

Wrex walked up beside Garrus, and said, "We're curing the genophage, no matter what it takes. Everything my people will ever be depends on it!"

"Then I hope this idea you were talking about is a good one," Shepard said as he joined them.

"It was hers, actually," Wrex noted as the female Krogan turned to face him.

"Kalros," the female said. "We summon her to the Reaper."

Shepard folded his arms and looked at her quizzically. "Would that even work?"

"Already discussed strategy," Mordin announced. "Just need to distract Reaper, draw it from tower while cure synthesized, released."

"What makes you so sure she'll come?"

"Legends say she is the mother from which all other thresher maws spawn," the female explained. "This is as much her home as ours."

"If Tuchanka has a temper," Wrex added, "Kalros is it. Nobody's ever faced her and survived."

"I'm game," Shepard said. "We've done crazier things than this before."

Samara smiled at this. "All too true, and one of the reasons I cherish our friendship, Shepard."

"The tower was built in an arena dedicated to Kalros's glory," the female continued. "The Salarians thought she would scare away intruders."

"Appears to have worked," Mordin interjected.

"There are two maw hammers there," the female declared, "the largest in existence. If you can activate them, Kalros will come. That should distract the Reaper."

"Meanwhile, laboratory nearby," Mordin noted. "Will finish synthesizing cure."

Shepard cracked his knuckles, which made Wrex smile. "Let's make sure we get out of here alive. We're gonna have one hell of a story to tell."

They were about to move, when Wrex said, "Wait! I want you to know that no matter what happens, you've been a champion to the Krogan people, a friend to Clan Urdnot, and a brother to me!" Wrex shook Shepard's hand heartily. "To every Krogan born after this day, the name "Shepard" will mean hero!" They shifted their handshake into a solid, brotherly grip. "Now let's show them why!"

 **N7**

Fighting their way to the Reaper was intense, probably the most intense ground fighting Shepard had ever experienced. Wave after wave of cannibals, husks, and marauders, and then waves of the powerful brutes, with the Reaper raining down attacks all the while. Just getting to the first maw hammer was grueling. Shepard and his squad were nearly spent, as more brutes charged them. Almost instinctively, he and Samara joined to put up a barrier, causing it to expand outwards, and then explode, taking three brutes out, and allowing Garrus and Vega to rest. They were almost out of clips, necessitating greater reliance on tech and biotic powers.

"Shepard, I can put up a barrier that will shield us from them," Samara offered. "It will take all I have, so you must make this count. Once we get to the second maw hammer, I will be spent."

"Understood. We'll make it count."

With that, Samara put up the barrier, and the four of them made their way across the field of battle, carefully avoiding the Reaper. Samara's barrier kept the Reaper forces from getting near them, while Shepard, Garrus, and Vega launched attacks from within the barrier. As they got near the maw hammer, four more brutes began pounding the barrier. Samara was already showing signs of fatigue, so Shepard put his power into the barrier as well, with Vega and Garrus covering them.

Finally, they reached the hammer, and not a moment too soon. Shepard was out of energy, and Samara collapsed. He activated the maw hammer, and thankfully, the result was almost instant, drawing the Reaper forces away, and then, the Reaper itself.

"Garrus, get Samara to safety! I'm going to rendezvous with Mordin. Vega, cover them!"

"You got it, Loco," Vega replied resolutely.

"You only get one shot at this, Shepard," Garrus reminded him. "Make it count."

Shepard nodded. "We will."

 **N7**

Shepard reached the base of the Shroud. Mordin was alone, Eve nowhere to be seen. The Salarian doctor stood at a keypad, typing furiously. The place was shaking, explosions all around. The Shroud was about to come down, and if they did not get that cure disseminated in the next five minutes, it would never happen.

"Mordin, is the cure ready?"

"Yes," Mordin confirmed. "Loaded for dispersal in two minutes. Procedure traumatic for Eve, but not lethal—Maelon's research invaluable."

"She's okay?"

"Headed to safety now," Mordin said, still making adjustments to the Shroud. "Her survival fortunate. Will stabilize new government should Wrex get any ideas. Good match—promising future for Krogan."

A piece of flaming debris landed mere meters from them. "Damn," Shepard shouted.

"Control room at top of shroud tower. Must take elevator up."

Shepard could hardly believe it. "You're going up there?"

"Yes—manual access required. Have to counteract STG sabotage, ensure cure dispersed properly."

It was suicide … or maybe not. "It may take all I've got, but I'm coming with you."

"Shepard, please. Remote bypass impossible, and your survival is paramount. It has to be me. Someone else might …"

"No, Mordin. I've lost too many friends to this damn war, and I won't lose another—not when it's within my power to prevent it. Come on! You do what you need to do; I'll keep you safe."

Mordin was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Very well, Shepard. Survived Sovereign, Collector base, and the Reaper attack on Earth. Chances are good that you'll survive this."

Shepard took Mordin's arm, shouting, "Move!"

They ran to the elevator and took it to the top, and entered the control room. The place was coming apart, but Mordin did what he needed to. He undid the sabotage, and ensured the cure's viability. Shepard noted that as Mordin worked, he sang. It was off key, and hurried, nervousness increasing the tempo. _When this is all over, I'm buying him voice lessons_.

" _Temperatures now within acceptable range_ ," the computer's voice announced. " _Dispersal commencing_."

Mordin smiled as the cure was dispersed, permeating Tuchanka's skies. At last, it was over. The Krogan were cured. Shepard threw up a barrier just as an explosion near them sent shrapnel in their direction.

"It's time to go!" Recalling Samara's displays, Shepard grabbed Mordin, and formed a spherical barrier. He then leapt from the building as it came apart, using the last of his strength to protect his friend, and to bring them to the ground safely. More explosions followed, and the barrier was buffeted with more debris and shrapnel. Shepard was spent, but he could not stop now. He drew on his inner strength, crying out as he kept the barrier going, and then blacking out as the last of his strength left him.

 **N7**

Wrex's Tomkah rolled up to the Shroud facility, only to see it crumble to the ground. Wrex was the first out, followed by Samara, Garrus, and Vega, and then the female Krogan. All feared the worst, running to see if Shepard and Mordin lived. At first, they found nothing, but then spied a lone figure closer to the facility. As they got closer to him, they could see it was Mordin. When they finally got near him, they saw that the Salarian was on the ground, Shepard laying against him. It seemed as though Shepard had died saving Mordin.

"No," Wrex gasped. "Not now …"

"Commander resting," Mordin assured. "Used biotics to save me. Got us to the ground in one piece. Blacked out from effort, but still breathing." He looked up and added, "He said, 'no one gets left behind."

All relaxed and it was then that Wrex took the time to hold out his hand. The cure, dispersed into the air, fell like snow upon Tuchanka. Mordin and Shepard had nearly died to make this happen.

Samara knelt beside Shepard. "He breathes." She then used her own biotics to lend him strength. Slowly, the commander regained consciousness.

"Did it work?"

Samara nodded, smiling as she looked down, but Wrex took Shepard's hand and hoisted him up.

"You've done the impossible, Shepard. You've done for the Krogan, you and Mordin, what nobody else would have done … could have done. The genophage is cured, and I promise you, things will be different going forward."

"Our future, Shepard," the female Krogan said. "You have safeguarded it, and placed into our hands. We will care for and nurture it. Today, a new day for our people begins."

 **N7**

"A long time ago, my father betrayed me in this place."

Wrex stood in the Hollows with Shepard and the Female Krogan. The day before, it was filled with Krogan, and a great battle with Reaper forces had taken place. Today, it was quiet, with just the three of them disturbing the silence, the sound of their footsteps echoing off the walls.

"His own son," Wrex continued. "He tried to kill me! So I had to kill him." Then he pointed. "Right over there. That's what the genophage reduced us to—animals. But you changed that today, Shepard."

"Now, we'll fight for our children, not against them," the female said. "I am glad that you were able to save Mordin. He did so much, sacrificed so much, for the Krogan people."

"He'll never be welcome on Sur'Kesh," Shepard noted. "Not after this."

"He's got a place here," Wrex assured. "We'll name one of the kids after him—maybe a girl." Then he added, "Samara's daughter, Falere, We've talked, and Samara's agreed to stay. We've found a place in the City of the Ancients that's habitable, and I've dispatched crews to start working."

"Falere will have a monastery to dwell in," the female said. "I will visit her often—she is a brilliant girl."

"And the Reapers will steer clear of it … if they know what's good for them," Wrex added.

"Thanks," Shepard replied. "That's incredibly generous of you."

"It is the least we could do," the female said. "And it is our pleasure."

"Tell the Turians I'll be deploying troops to Palaven immediately," Wrex declared. "And when you're ready to kick the Reapers off Earth, you let me know. The Krogan are back in business."

"Good bye, Commander," the female said, shaking his hand.

"What will you do now?"

"Spread the hope you have given us," she said. "Even now, there are clans gathering in the Kelphic Valley. I'll go speak to them, and make sure this gift isn't squandered. Thank you for all you have done … and know that Urdnot Bakara …" she bowed, "calls you a friend."

Shepard bowed in return. "It's been my honor. I'm proud to call you both family."

 **N7**

Shepard parted ways with Samara and Falere, with Samara promising to join the battle as soon as she was able. Shepard offered Mordin a place on the Normandy, but the Salarian thought his expertise might be needed on Tuchanka, and opted to take up Wrex on the invitation to stay.

Shepard, Garrus, and Vega boarded the shuttle, feeling hopeful about the war for the first time since it all began. They won today. They beat the Reapers on Tuchanka. They had saved the Krogan people. Not only was it a victory in the war, but it was a victory for galactic peace after the war. The wrongs done to the Krogan had been undone, and now, the Krogan would rejoin the galactic community.

Shepard took one look back, seeing the remains of the Shroud still smoking in the distance. The old facility had breathed its last, giving its life in Shepard's efforts to save the Krogan. It was a fitting end.

"Now," he said aloud, "we give the Reapers a fitting end."

"Damn right," Vega agreed.

"And then we get rich off the vids, and sip drinks on the beach," Garrus added.

The three of them laughed, happy for the moment of levity before returning to the war.


	13. Chapter 13

**Under Siege**

Shepard ordered the Normandy back to the Citadel, intending to meet with Aria about taking Omega back from Cerberus. Primarch Victus had returned to Palaven, and true to his word, dispatched ships to aid Earth. Moreover, true to his word, Wrex put Krogan boots on the ground on Palaven and Manae. With a common enemy to fight, it seemed that the Krogan and Turians got along just fine.

With that done, he went to visit Miranda, who was recovering in the Med-Bay. She had not told him that she was actually ill enough to be confined to the Med-bay, but when he walked in, Miranda was smiling, Doctor Chakwas giving her a once-over.

"Shepard," Miranda said, her eyes almost squinting from her smile being so big. In fact, she was practically glowing in spite of being in a hospital gown on a table.

"Everything appears normal," Chakwas declared. "Mordin's surgery was successful."

"Surgery?" He raised an eyebrow at this as he ran to Miranda's side. "What happened?"

"My neoplasm," Miranda explained. "Mordin cured it. I can have children now! We can have a family!"

John pulled her close. "Miranda, that's wonderful news!"

"She'll need to stay out of action for a few days, while she recovers," Chakwas declared. "After that, Miranda, you'll be back to business as usual."

"Yes, Ma'am," Miranda said dutifully. "For once, I'm actually glad to be placed on bedrest."

"I'll hold the fort for you while you rest, Mirdanda," John assured. "If we're lucky, maybe we'll even beat the Reapers."

"Wouldn't that be nice," Miranda purred. "Then we'd have nothing to do … except each other."

"Leaving now," Chakwas said, rolling her eyes.

 **N7**

Traynor informed Shepard that there was a vid-call waiting for him. He hoped that it was Anderson, as he was wondering how his friend was faring on the ground on Earth, but instead, it was the Salarian Councilor, Valern.

"Commander," he opened, "there is something we should discuss … if you are finished rewriting history."

"I've made my decision, Councilor," Shepard replied cordially. "There's not much anybody can do about it now."

"Yes," Valern lamented. "We're going to have billions more Krogan in the galaxy."

"Krogan who don't have any problem going to war for an ally," Shepard noted. " _Some_ species could learn a thing or two from the Krogan."

"It's a good thing you saved my life once, Shepard … otherwise …"

"More than once," John corrected. "And otherwise, you'd have no hope against the Reapers, and the galaxy would be harvested—the end. Don't threaten me, Councilor. Better men than you have tried to kill me, and to a man, they're all dead, so let's cut the crap: what do you want?"

Valern was silent for a moment, as though contemplating a rebuttal to Shepard's retort, but thankfully, he got to the point.

"I have concerns about humanity's representative, Councilor Udina."

"You and me both, pal," Shepard replied. "He's spent the past few years being a pain in my ass, and sticking his nose up yours. He's a treacherous snake, and he fit right in with you and the others. Why the sudden concern?"

"My agents have discovered that he's using his authority to move vast sums of money. To what purpose, we're not sure."

"Call C-Sec—I've got a galaxy to save, and you and your colleagues seem disinclined to help."

"I considered that, but they may be compromised. You're a Spectre, and politically neutral, Shepard. Also, this could be a matter of galactic security … ah, let's not speak of it here."

""Fine. I'm heading there anyway. Shepard out."

The one bad thing about vid-chat and modern communications was that there was no receiver to slam down to terminate the call. The only silver lining was that if Udina really was dirty, it would be immensely gratifying to be the one to arrest him.

 **N7**

The commander hoped for a bit of a breather at the station, but it was not to be. Almost as soon as they arrived, there were problems. Nobody answered Joker's hails, and then Thane Krios contacted the Normandy directly, informing Shepard that Cerberus had taken over the station.

Thane was a patient at Huerta Memorial, being in the final stages of Kepral's Syndrome. The dying Drell was staying ahead of Cerberus troops, and remaining hidden, trying his best to aid C-Sec. Shepard just hoped that Thane was not taking any unnecessary risks, as his health was not what it had been during the Collector mission.

Shepard, Edi, and Garrus went in aboard a shuttle. Cortez dropped them off right outside of C-Sec headquarters, and not a moment too soon: Bailey and C-Sec were fighting for their lives against advancing Cerberus troops—fighting and losing.

They hit the ground hot, engaging Cerberus troops right as they leapt from the shuttle. Edi and Garrus both made use of overload, taking out the shields of Cerberus turrets, and incapacitating Cerberus engineers, whom Shepard cut down forthwith. The trio fought their way through the Cerberus force, and finally getting to a wounded Bailey.

"Shepard," Baily called out as they approached. The C-Sec commander was down, a gunshot wound in his gut. Miranda immediately began administering medi-gel. "Shepard, I saw those Cerberus troops on you. I thought you were done for."

Shepard was a little surprised to see Bailey in the fight wearing no body armor. "Bailey, what are you doing here?'

"Getting my ass shot trying to retake headquarters," Bailey explained. "Cerberus took it in the first push. We've gotta kick them out of there. Everyone in C-Sec is flying blind without the network."

"How bad's the situation?" Garrus asked as Shepard helped Bailey up. "Do you know if the councilors are still alive?"

"They split up," Bailey explained. "I'll know more if I can access the network inside."

"Can you get us in?" Shepard asked.

"I'll get the door … if no one interrupts me with a bullet this time."

They were in momentarily, and Bailey immediately got to a terminal. Shepard hoped that the C-Sec commander's wound was not too serious. He suspected that the shot was more of a graze, something medi-gel could easily fix.

"Here we go," Bailey said. "C-Sec network access, courtesy of Cerberus."

"How's that gonna help?" Shepard hoped Bailey had a good answer, given that Cerberus controlled the network.

"Cerberus has control of the main channels, but I can set up a new one," Bailey explained. "Without it, our people have no plan and no chance—hello …"

Shepard walked over to look at whatever Bailey was seeing. "What have you got?"

"A warning from Councilor Valern. He's supposed to be here meeting with the executor. "be on guard: the likelihood of betrayal from within is high." Not a lot else … but if he's inside …"

"Why would the Councilor be meeting with the executor?"

"Usually, it means someone big's about to be prosecuted," Bailey explained. "I guess that someone had Cerberus friends."

That squared with Shepard's recent communication with Valern.

"The councilor mentioned Udina," Garrus interjected. "But that's insane. Does he even have this kind of pull?"

"Well, you know who'd have the answer to that?" Bailey said. "The Councilor."

"The Councilor's in there, surrounded by Cerberus?" Shepard could hardly believe it. "Who put together _that_ security detail?"

"Well, until about an hour ago, this place was as safe as it got," Bailey said defensively. "Nobody expected anything on this scale!" We need to find the Councilor and get him out of here! He has got to know more about who's behind this."

"He could be in the executor's office," Garrus proposed. "It's a fairly defensible position."

"I'm on it," Shepard declared. The time for talking was over.

 **N7**

After getting Bailey in, and getting into contact with Thane, Shepard, Garrus, and Edi set about locating Valern. It was a long, and bloody shootout all the way to the executor's office, and along the way, Shepard was surprised to hear the voice of Kallisah al-Jilani, broadcasting warnings against Cerberus, and trying to help C-Sec coordinate a response. He could not help but smile at her tenacity. However when they finally made it, the executor was dead. Councilor Valern, however, proved to be very much alive.

He was below, in a lobby area below the Executor's Office, and Shepard saw him through a picture window. It seemed the Councilor had cloaked himself, and only just now became visible.

"Found him," Shepard said to Bailey over the com. "He looks unharmed."

" _Get him somewhere safe!_ "

Shepard was about to do just that, when a Cerberus phantom dropped in on Valern … no, not a phantom: though dressed in phantom armor, this one was male. He wore some kind of cybernetic optics mask, and had long hair pulled into a ponytail. He advanced menacingly on the Councilor.

 _Great_ , Shepard thought. _The councilor's useless at anything except hiding_. He shot out the glass, and then jumped down as well, right behind the interloper, prompting him to jump to the other side of Valern, pointing some kind of powered gauntlet at the councilor.

"Don't even think about it," Shepard barked.

"Shepard, he's going to kill us all," Valern warned, his voice barely above a whisper.

"That remains to be seen," Shepard said as he and the assassin circled each other, Valern in the middle.

"I mean Udina," Valern clarified, still whispering. "He's stating a coup. He's got the other councilor, and going now to hand them over to Cerberus."

Edi and Garrus joined them, having taken the stairs. "Three on one, pal," Shepard remarked. "It's over."

"No," the assassin said. "Now it's fun."

That was when Thane appeared, a gun pointed at the assassin's head. It distracted the assassin just long enough for Shepard to trap him in a biotic field, and lift him from the ground, crushing him. He recalled Liara's comment about what she wanted to do with the Shadow Broker, and crushed the assassin further and further, levitating him over an abandoned coffee cup. When Shepard finally released what was left of the assassin, his remains fell into the still partially filled coffee cup, making a splashing sound.

Garrus picked it up, and began stirring it, then took it to a half-full coffee pot, and filled the mug the rest of the way. "You planning to drink this, Shepard?"

The commander shook his head. "Venti Cerber-frappuccino? No thanks."

Edi made a face, while Thane shook his head. Valern looked horrified. To the shock and horror of Thane and Valern, and the mild surprise of Edi, Garrus drank it down, and then made a somewhat satisfied face.

"Flavor's a bit nutty," Garrus remarked. Then he looked at the disgusted Thane and Valern. "What? It would only be cannibalism if Shepard drank it."

Shepard could not help laughing. "Right. Now, let's find the other Councilors!"

 **N7**

Shepard, Garrus, and Edi stepped out of the elevator, guns drawn. The assassin was gone, but the place was still crawling with Cerberus troops, even after Shepard and his squad had killed dozens of them, and they seemed to have infested the elevator shafts. The remaining Councilors, including Udina, were on the shuttle platform, guarded by Ashley Williams. The shuttle on the pad was a smoking wreck. It was the end of the line for them, and it was likely here that Udina intended to make the hand-off, most likely to the assassin that Shepard had already killed.

"Damn it," Ashley exclaimed as she looked at the burning shuttle. "Cerberus hit the shuttle! Everybody back to the elevator." She turned, only to see Shepard, Garrus and Edi as they stepped off the elevator, and closed the door behind them. She lowered her weapon, gasping, "Shepard?"

Udina stood with his hand up, which was weird, given that Shepard was a Spectre, and the other councilors seemed relieved at his arrival. Then it became clear.

"Shepard's blocking our escape," Udina growled. "He's with Cerberus."

Ashley, fool that she was, raised her weapon again, pointing it at Shepard. "Everybody, hang on," she called, looking back at the councilors, interposing herself between them and Shepard. Then she looked at him. "Shepard, what's happening here?"

Shepard lowered his weapon. "You know me better than that, Ash."

"I knew the old Shepard, before Cerberus," she replied, backing up toward the councilors. "Right now, I'm not sure who I'm dealing with."

"We don't have time to negotiate," Shepard declared, still keeping his weapon lowered, and motioning for Garrus and Edi to lower theirs. "You've been fooled, all of you. Udina's behind this attack. Valern confirmed it."

"Please," Udina snorted derisively. "You have no proof. You never do!"

Shepard motioned to the door. "There are Cerberus soldiers in the elevator shaft behind us. If you open that door, they'll try to kill you, and we'll be in the middle of another firefight. Ash, none of the councilors are armed or have shields and armor. They'll be killed."

Tevos, the Asari councilor stepped forward, looking at Ashley. "We've mistrusted Shepard before, and it did not help us."

Udina shook his head. "We don't have time to debate this. We're dead if we stay out here." He went to the terminal. "I'm overriding the lock."

Now, Shepard moved in, gun raised, and trained on Udina. Ashley stood in his path, still pointing her gun at him. Then she said, "I'm going to regret this." She lowered her gun, and turned toward Udina, though she still looked back at Shepard.

"No, you're not," John assured.

"Alright, Skipper." She then marched over and stood between the Turian and Asari Councilors and Udina, pointing her weapon at Udina. "Udina, step away from the console."

"To hell with this!" Udina then activated the door. Tevos went to him, making one last ditch effort to end it peacefully, but he pushed her to the floor, and drew a gun.

"Gun!"

Ashley pointed her weapon at Udina as she shouted, but still was not firing. Shepard, on the other hand, trapped Udina in a stasis field.

"Get the Council back, and cover that door," Shepard barked as Sparatus helped Tevos to her feet. They collectively turned to face whatever was about to come through the door, which was now being cut through.

"The door," shouted Sparatus, pointing at it as it was cut open, but it was Bailey and two C-Sec officers, not Cerberus.

"Bailey?"

"Made it as fast as we could, Shepard," Bailey said, holstering his weapon. Looks like you took care of things."

"Something's not right," Tevos noted. "You said Cerberus was targeting us. Where did their soldiers go?"

"Cerberus was right here, but they beat feet into the Keeper tunnels when they figured out we were coming," Baily explained. "Sorry, Councilor, but I'll say it plain: Shepard just saved the lot of you."

"And you have saved my life twice now, Shepard," Sparatus declared. "I owe you both a personal debt, and one on behalf of Palaven."

"You don't owe me anything, Councilor," Shepard said, resisting the urge to scold the Turian Councilor for his prior dismissal of Shepard's warnings. "Times like these, we all stand together."

"Commander, do you have any idea why the Illusive Man would do this?" Sparatus asked.

"No, but I imagine interrogating Udina will prove enlightening," Shepard replied. "And as a Spectre, I intend to be present."

"Me too," Ashley interjected.

"Garrus, you were C-Sec," Bailey added. "I'd like you there as well."

Garrus nodded. "Of course, Commander Bailey. We'll get to the bottom of it … one way or another."

As Bailey's men took Udina into custody, Ashley stood before Shepard, her eyes downcast, a look of contrition on her face. "I'm sorry, Shepard. I doubted you … my best friend, and I doubted you. I'm sorry."

"It's alright, Ash," he replied. What more could he say? It was over, and Ashley came around quickly enough. "Just glad to see you up and about. Also glad you were there to see Udina get his comeuppance—I know you didn't like him either."

She spat. "I despised him. If you had said to turn it down, I would have told him no to being a Spectre."

"That's about the only thing he did right, Ash. You deserved that."

Ashley hugged him. "Thank you, Skipper. That means a lot. I won't doubt you again."

"Thanks, Ash."

At last, it seemed that some of the old wounds were healed, even in the midst of the Reapers. Now, perhaps, they could all face Cerberus and the Reapers as a united front … and figure out the link between them.


End file.
